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Prior to the Test, stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith described the pitch as “furry and green”<\/a> and said “batters would have to be on their game”.<\/p>\n Speaking after his side were beaten, Smith said he was “not sure” why MCG head curator Matthew Page had opted to leave so much grass on the pitch for the Boxing Day Test \u2013 a marquee event in the Australian sporting calendar. Page will talk to the media on Sunday.<\/p>\n “We let them judge it and do what they see fit,” said Smith. <\/p>\n “I said before the game it looked like it was going to offer a fair amount and it probably did more than we thought it was going to.<\/p>\n “It’s tough as a groundsman, always looking for the right balance. Maybe if he took it from 10mm to eight it would have been a nice, challenging wicket, maybe a little bit more even. Groundsmen are always learning and maybe he’ll take something from that.”<\/p>\n