Aussie great Darren Lehmann once again calls for coin toss to be scrapped as ‘simple’ solution to Test pitch problem

Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann has once again called for the coin toss to be scrapped in Test cricket as the fallout to the second two-day match of the Ashes series continues.

Cricket Australia is bracing for a heavy financial loss after England won the Boxing Day Test inside two days, only a month after the Ashes opener in Perth also ended with three days to spare.

It is the first time the same series has had multiple two-day Tests in 129 years.

CA chief executive Todd Greenberg has suggested the governing body could step in to avoid a repeat of this summer, saying “short Tests are bad for business”.

But as debate rages about the state of the Australian pitches this summer, Lehmann spruiked removing the coin toss and giving the visiting team the choice of whether to bat or bowl.

“Get rid of the toss, away team chooses. Simple as that,” he tweeted on Monday.

It’s a long held theory of his, dating back to 2015 when he was coach of Australia.

He believes if the visiting team had the first choice then host nations would do their best to prepare wickets as even as possible.

“That is one that should definitely come in to cricket, where the opposition gets the right to choose what they want to do,” Lehmann said after Australia’s series win over New Zealand in December, 2015.

“I reckon it will stop all the wickets suiting the home team.”

Lehmann went into further detail the following year in his autobiography, titled Coach.

“The biggest challenge to the longest format, for me at least, comes not from Twenty20 but from the surfaces on which matches are being played,” Lehmann said.

“Put simply, those surfaces are either far too bland or, conversely, are far too heavily weighted in favour of the home side. In both instances, that does Test cricket no good at all.

“On the other hand, no one wants to see 600 plays 500 on pitches that offer the bowlers nothing. Producing tracks like that is the surest way to kill off the format.

“My solution to ensure the best possible pitches are produced is, at international level, to do away with the toss, with the visiting side given the option of whether they want to bat or bowl.

“That way the result is not decided by the toss of the coin, host boards have a greater incentive to produce decent pitches that are fair to both sides and the chances are that after five days the better side – rather than the one that has called correctly and thus been able to take advantage of favourable conditions – is the one what will come out on top.”

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has warned against authorities becoming directly involved in pitch preparation, defending MCC curator Matt Page after the rapid-fire Boxing Day Test.

Australia’s curators have historically been given independence, with instructions only to give their local venues “unique characteristics” as part of their strategy.

“I don’t want to get to a situation ... where we are asking for specific surfaces and tailor-made,” McDonald said at the MCG on Monday.

“I don’t think Australia will ever go there, and I don’t think they’ve ever been there, to my knowledge.”

McDonald defended Page against critics, praising his performance in turning the MCG around from one of the dullest pitches in Australia.

CA and the MCC are eagerly awaiting ICC match referee Jeff Crowe’s verdict on the pitch, expected to be handed down on Monday.

Given Page has already acknowledged he left too much grass on the pitch, the pitch could be given a rare “unsatisfactory” rating.

That would see the MCG slapped with a demerit point by the ICC.

Page was poached from the WACA after the MCG pitch received a poor rating when only 24 wickets fell across five days in a dull 2017 draw.

There hasn’t been a drawn Test at the MCG since then, when Alastair Cook batted for 10-and-a-half hours.

The curator has already received the full backing of MCC boss Stuart Fox, the pair fronting a packed press conference together on Sunday.

McDonald hailed Page as being “outstanding” at his job and conceded Australia’s batters had to carry some blame for the match ending so quickly.

“We have bad Test matches as well,” McDonald said.

“Sometimes these things can happen, but we support him in what he’s done and really proud of the evolution of the MCG.

“We don’t want to scare him off and get back to where we were.

“He’s found a nice balance for a long period of time.

“We believe we’re a better batting group than that, but what we did there says otherwise.”

Australia star Travis Head, who top-scored in the match with 46, also felt sorry for Page.

“I feel for him, it’s bloody tough,” Head said on Sunday.

- With AAP