The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially rated the pitch used for the recent Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as 'unsatisfactory'. This assessment was made by ICC Match Referee Jeff Crowe, who stated that the pitch was excessively favourable to bowlers. The match, which saw England secure a four-wicket victory against Australia, notably concluded inside just two days. A staggering 36 wickets fell during the short encounter, with no batsman managing to score a half-century, underscoring the challenging conditions for batting. As a consequence of this rating, the MCG has been issued one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process. This system stipulates that a venue accumulating six demerit points within a five-year period could face a 12-month ban from hosting international matches. This incident marks a significant event for the iconic Australian venue, following a previous 'poor' rating for the 2017-18 Ashes Boxing Day Test, although that instance occurred before the current demerit point system was fully implemented. The recent rating highlights ongoing scrutiny over pitch preparation at major venues and its impact on the balance between bat and ball in Test cricket.