{"id":285949,"date":"2025-11-27T10:23:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/285949\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T10:23:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T10:23:15","slug":"fastest-ashes-test-in-a-century-ends-in-two-days-icc-still-rates-perth-pitch-very-good-despite-32-wicket-frenzy-cricket-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/285949\/","title":{"rendered":"Fastest Ashes Test in a century ends in two days \u2014 ICC still rates Perth pitch \u2018very good\u2019 despite 32-wicket frenzy | Cricket News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FastestEngland’s Joe Root is bowled out by Australia’s Mitchell Starc in Perth. (AP\/PTI Photo) The quickest Ashes Test in 137 years \u2014 a two-day shootout that saw 19 wickets tumble on the opening day \u2014 has been officially deemed a \u2018very good\u2019 pitch by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The verdict, delivered after Australia sealed a 1-0 lead in breathtaking fashion at Perth Stadium, has sparked fresh debate over modern batting approaches, pitch expectations, and the global scrutiny on surfaces following India’s three-day defeat to South Africa in Kolkata.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!<\/a>Under the ICC\u2019s four-tier assessment system, \u2018very good\u2019 is the highest possible rating, reserved for pitches offering \u201cgood carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early\u201d, ensuring a fair contest between bat and ball. Despite the rapid nature of the Test \u2014 wrapped up in just 847 deliveries \u2014 match referee Andy Pycroft concluded that the surface met all criteria for top-tier approval.<\/p>\n

Gautam Gambhir fiery press conference: On whitewash, Rishabh Pant shot, pitch and more<\/p>\n

The opening Ashes Test erupted into chaos early as England were skittled for 172, Mitchell Starc claiming career-best figures of 7-58. But Australia\u2019s own collapse to 121\/9 by stumps kept the game finely in balance. Day two followed a similar script: 13 wickets, 380 runs, and Travis Head\u2019s blazing 123 carrying Australia to an eight-wicket triumph.The breakneck affair drew immediate attention in the subcontinent, occurring just days after India\u2019s dramatic loss in Kolkata, where a spin-heavy surface saw 17 wickets fall on day two and India bowled out for 93 in a 124-run chase. While Eden Gardens remains unrated, India coach Gautam Gambhir<\/a> defended the pitch, insisting \u201cthere were no demons\u201d.<\/p>\n

Poll<\/p>\n

What do you think of the ICC’s rating of the pitch as ‘very good’?<\/p>\n

Starc, who finished with 10-113, insisted both teams\u2019 attacking intent contributed to the accelerated finish, while England captain Ben Stokes described the pitch as \u201coffering a lot\u201d but rewarding positive play. Australia\u2019s Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne both noted the surface actually improved late on the second day.Cricket Australia\u2019s chief of cricket James Allsopp welcomed the ICC\u2019s endorsement, saying the rating \u201cjustifies our belief\u201d that Perth delivered a fair contest \u2014 even if fans missed out on days three and four.\u201cWe saw some incredible moments that captivated huge audiences,\u201d Allsopp said, looking ahead to the next Test under lights at the Gabba.Australia now carry momentum into Brisbane, but the debate over surfaces \u2014 and batting standards \u2014 is only set to intensify.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"England’s Joe Root is bowled out by Australia’s Mitchell Starc in Perth. (AP\/PTI Photo) The quickest Ashes Test…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285950,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[98897,116399,1721,102821,18855,116398,6530,116397,101,116400,116401,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-285949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-ashes-test","tag-australia-vs-england-test","tag-cricket","tag-eden-gardens-test","tag-gautam-gambhir","tag-icc-very-good-pitch","tag-international-cricket-council","tag-perth-pitch-rating","tag-sports","tag-test-cricket-statistics","tag-travis-head-performance","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285949\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}