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Ashes 2025-26: Sunil Gavaskar slips atop ICC pitching rankings after Melbourne Test ends in two days



Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar openly questioning the evaluations once again heated up the debate International Cricket Council (ICC). The batting great emphasized that he believes there are double standards in the way game ratings are given. the fourth Ashes Test was recently concluded As an example at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The two-day Test poses questions related to loudness assessment

The Melbourne Test raised eyebrows after it was completed in just two days, with the bowlers dominating from the first session. An astonishing 20 wickets fell on Day 1 – the highest in Australia on an opening day since 1951 – with a further 16 on Day 2. In all, the match was completed in just 142 overs, an unusually short time for a Test match at one of cricket’s most famous venues.

Despite heavy help for the bowler, Gavaskar feels the pitch will not attract criticism from the match officials. Drawing comparisons to the opening Test of the series in Perth, which ended in two days but received a glowing review, the former opener suggested the MCG surface could still escape scrutiny.

Sunil Gavaskar points to the ratings given by the umpires for the MCG pitch

Gavaskar noted that the Perth Test pitch was rated as “very good” despite similar conditions leading to a quick finish. He added a wry twist by suggesting that Melbourne’s pitch rating may depend more on who holds the umpire’s clipboard than the actual nature of the surface.

He celebrated with Gavaskar Jeff Crowe to officiate the Melbourne and Sydney Tests instead Ranjan Madugallethe text of the rating can be easily changed. Removing the word “very” from “very good” may be the only visible difference, he said, although more wickets fall in Melbourne than in Perth.

“With a new match referee for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, Jeff Crowe, the rating may be different. With 36 wickets falling in the Melbourne Test in Perth, not 32, Crowe can take Madugalle’s ‘very good’ for the Perth pitch out of the word ‘very’ and never rate the performance at the MCG well. Another rating” Gavaskar wrote in a column for Sportstar.

Also READ: ‘I was in shock’: MCG curator breaks silence after two-day Boxing Day Test farce – Ashes 2025-26

The sarcasm is aimed at the “terrible fundamentalists” narrative

The 75-year-old man was not satisfied with that. He also learned how Indian pitch curators are often portrayed by ICC match umpires. Gavaskar quipped that while curators in Australia may make the occasional “human error”, they are rarely labeled as manipulative – a stark contrast to the harsh language often used for Indian landowners.

“The curators or the person in charge at the MCG, as we know about the Director of Turf, are human and can err a bit, but they are not as cunning as the ‘terrible fielders’ in India who don’t even prepare the pitch and expect the batsmen to score for them. Hold on,” Gavaskar added.

Also READ: Ashes 2025-26: Ben Stokes and Steve Smith hit the MCG pitch after the 4th Test ends two days later



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