Lyon, Langer applaud 'brilliant' MCG pitch

Test off-spinner Nathan Lyon has given the MCG wicket the ultimate tick of approval, calling this year's Boxing Day pitch the best he has ever played on at the iconic venue.

Australia defeated New Zealand by 247 runs inside four days to clinch the Domain Test series over New Zealand in Melbourne on a pitch that offered seam and spin throughout the match, a far cry from the wicket that was deemed dangerous in the abandoned Marsh Sheffield Shield match earlier this month.

That abandoned Shield cash and negative pitch assessment from last year's Test against India focused the spotlight on MCC curator Matt Page, but Lyon says the groundstaff produced a "brilliant" cricket wicket for the annual marquee match. 

"It's my ninth Boxing Day Test and this is by far the best wicket we've played on," Lyon told ABC Grandstand yesterday.

"There's been a contest between bat and ball consistently.

"Even towards the end there you saw the fast bowlers, they were still getting the reward and there was some spin and bounce there.

"By far the best wicket I've been a part of."

Following the abandoned Shield match between Victoria and Western Australia, much of the lead-in to the first Test in Perth was dominated by the state of the MCG pitch.

Cricket Australia declared they would work closely with the Melbourne Cricket Club to ensure the pitch was up to standard, while those who were questioned in the west – including Australia head coach Justin Langer – had complete confidence the wicket would be fine for Boxing Day.

That confidence was vindicated by Page and his crew, who delivered a pitch that Kiwi captain Kane Williamson elected to bowl first on, saw centuries scored by Travis Head and Tom Blundell, pace and bounce for the two elite fast-bowling attacks and turned for Lyon as the game went on.

Like Lyon, Langer was asked about the pitch on Sunday evening and he agreed with his chief spinner, applauding the surface after his side wrapped up the Domain Test Series with a 247-run win.

"It was a brilliant wicket," Langer said on Fox Cricket.

"There was a lot of discussion about the MCG wicket.  What a fantastic wicket. This is how Test cricket should be played.

"It had some good carry and if you bowled that fuller length it seamed around so the bowlers were always in the game.

"Good players showed that you could score runs on it as well.

"The margin for error was quite small which is great but when you got it in the right areas there was some bounce and it spun as well, so that's a good sign."

Domain Test Series v New Zealand

Australia squad: David Warner, Joe Burns, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Travis Head, Tim Paine (c, wk), Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Nathan Lyon, James Pattinson, Michael Neser, Mitchell Swepson

New Zealand: Todd Astle, Tom Blundell, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Jeet Raval, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Neil Wagner, Kane Williamson (c)

First Test: Australia won by 296 runs in Perth

Second Test: Australia won by 247 runs

Third Test: January 3-7, SCG (Seven, Fox & Kayo)