'Nervous': Why pressure on the SCG couldn't be higher following Perth and Melbourne Test failures
Enormous pressure is on the SCG to deliver, after both Melbourne and Perth produced only two-day Test matches so far this Ashes series.
Spicy pitches with too much grass have made life tremendously difficult for batsmen, leading to the accelerated outcomes.
This has hit Cricket Australia's bottom line hard, costing them tens of millions of dollars, and robbed fans of a chance to enjoy the action over summer.
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Glenn McGrath and Sara Leonardi in pink. Instagram
But there are extra stakes when it comes to the Sydney Test, with day three being the Pink Day to support the McGrath Foundation.
It has become a traditional part of the SCG Test, led by former Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath in honour of his wife Jane who died of breast cancer in 2008.
The McGrath Foundation raised $9m during the Pink Test in 2025, selling a record-breaking 425,000 'virtual' pink seats.
A two-day Test would clearly have additional ramifications, and it's something Cricket Australia can't afford.
SCG curator Adam Lewis has confirmed the pitch will have 6mm of grass. For context, the MCG pitch had 10mm.
And while early pictures of the pitch on social media show it looking like a green monster, Lewis says there is no reason to be alarmed.
"I don't scroll, I don't have social media, so I try and keep all that negative energy away from me," Lewis told SEN on Friday.
The SCG pitch on January 1. Nine
"We just put our own pressure on ourselves. We're trying to produce the best pitch we can with the climate that we're given.
"We're happy with the colour of the pitch at the moment, we don't want it to not have any green in it three days out from the Test.
"We'll be able to take that colour out of it over the next couple of days.
"Hopefully, we see a little bit of sun, which will help draw the moisture out.
"Look, we're hoping for a nice green tinge on day one so the ball can get some good carry, but a nice and even surface.
"We're looking like we've got good weather for the five days, and my gut feeling is that we will see some good batting."
Glenn McGrath leads the Pink Test. Getty
Lewis went in to bat for MCG curator Matthew Page after the scrutiny placed on him following the Boxing Day Test disaster.
The pitch was graded 'unsatisfactory' by the ICC in the aftermath.
"I spoke to 'Pagey' a few times last week. The guys are doing the absolute best they can," Lewis said.
"Pagey is probably one of the best curators in Australia, if not the world.
"It's not as if we go out to produce a wicket that it's over in a few days. It's just a shame.
"All we can do now is just produce something as even as possible, so it can be decided by the players."
McGrath is optimistic of the Test reaching day three, and believes the curators will take a conservative approach to avoid the backlash of Melbourne and Perth.
"Fingers crossed the Test gets to day three," McGrath said on 2GB.
"Which, I think it will, I think the groundsmen will be nervous after what happened in Melbourne and take a bit more grass off."
The other element the Sydney Test is well known for is sessions being rained out.
However, at this stage day two looks like the only day where rain might fall, with hot, sunny weather forecast for the rest.
