England eager to prove mettle in MCG cauldron

ENGLAND are out to prove their mettle at the MCG, by adapting successfully to whatever conditions meet them there.

Much intrigue surrounds the nature of the drop-in pitch which will be used for the St Stephen’s Day Ashes Test, groundsman Cameron Hodgkins having reportedly abandoned his initial first choice in favour of a grassier and much livelier surface.

The switch, however, pre-dates England’s evident failure to cope with the demands of the pace and bounce of the WACA on their way to landslide,series-levelling defeat in the third Test.