Ashes 2025-26: Cricket Australia to lose INR 60 Crore after Boxing Day Test ended in two days

Cricket Australia is expected to lose INR 60 Crore after the Boxing Day Ashes 2025-26 Test concluded in only two days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. Notably, the MCG Test is usually a big-ticket event Down Under. 

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Shifting our focus to the details of the game, Australia posted only 152 runs. In response, England posted 110 runs as Australia managed to get a 42-run lead. In the third innings, Australia went on to post 132 runs. In the chase, England sealed the deal with four wickets in hand.

Cricket Australia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Todd Greenberg has stated that if Tests end within two days, it is a dry state for the business of the game. Notably, Day 3 of the Boxing Day Test on Sunday was expected to be a houseful affair.

“A simple phrase I’d use is – short Tests are bad for business. I can’t be much more blunt than that. Historically we have taken a hands-off approach in all of our wicket preparation... but it’s hard not to get more involved when you see the impact on the sport, particularly commercially,” Todd Greenberg told via SEN Radio.

On the other hand, after the conclusion of the game, Australian skipper Steven Smith also stated it’s not ideal to have two-day Tests, as it’s very important to entertain fans present at the stadium for a longer period of time. 

“The finances aren’t great, and I think it was a sell-out tomorrow. We saw 36 wickets in two days and that indicates it was a pretty tricky wicket. It probably offered a little too much. A lot of the Tests have been played in fast-forward and this one was over in two day, not ideal. It would be good if it was a bit longer, and we were able to entertain the fans some more, but it wasn’t to be,” Smith said after the match.

The fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025-26 series will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, starting on Sunday, January 4.

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