The fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) witnessed a dramatic opening day, with a staggering 20 wickets falling, prompting criticism of the pitch and drawing comparisons to the scrutiny India often faces in similar situations. Australia ended the day slightly ahead after being bowled out for 152 and then dismissing England for a mere 110. At the close of play, Australia were 4-0, holding a 46-run lead.
The extraordinary events unfolded in front of a record crowd of 94,199, surpassing the previous record for a cricket match at the MCG. This surpassed the 93,013 who watched the 2015 World Cup final. The day's play marked the first time since the 1901-02 Ashes series that 20 wickets had fallen on the opening day of a Test between Australia and England in Australia. In fact, it was the most wickets to fall in a single day at the MCG since 1902, when 25 wickets fell.
England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to field, a decision that initially seemed justified as England's bowlers quickly dismantled the Australian batting lineup. Josh Tongue was the pick of the bowlers, claiming a career-best 5-45. Michael Neser top-scored for Australia with 35. However, England's elation was short-lived as their own batting order crumbled, with only Harry Brook (41) and Gus Atkinson (28) offering any significant resistance. Michael Neser and Scott Boland took 4 and 3 wickets respectively to lead Australia's response with the ball.
Former England captain Kevin Pietersen weighed in on the pitch conditions, noting the double standards often applied to India. "India ALWAYS gets hammered when wickets fall like crazy on day 1 of a Test and so I hope that Australia gets the same scrutiny! Fair is fair!" Pietersen wrote on X. He argued that Australia should face similar criticism to what India often receives when pitches heavily favor bowlers. Former England captain Alastair Cook also criticized the pitch, saying it was too heavily weighted in the bowlers' favor.
The dramatic day has left the Test match finely poised, with Australia holding a slender lead. While the bowlers dominated, both teams will need to reassess their batting strategies to combat the challenging conditions. The pitch is expected to improve for batting as the game progresses.
