ICC hand down pitch rating for two-day Perth Test

The pitch for the two-day Ashes Test at Perth Stadium has been given the highest rating by the ICC.

The surface, which produced 19 wickets on the opening day and a result late on the second as Travis Head flayed 123 off 83 balls, was graded as "very good" in the official report from the match referee Ranjan Madugalle.

Under the ICC's four-tier ratings system, "very good" is reflects a pitch with "good carry, limited seam movement, and consistent bounce early in the match, allowing for a balanced contest between batters and bowlers".

At 847 deliveries it was the second-shortest completed Test in Australia and the shortest Ashes Test by balls bowled since 1888.

Pace bowling dominated across the first three innings with Mitchell Starc taking 7 for 58, although England had been 160 for 5 before a late collapse before tea on the first day. The visiting attack was then relentless in reducing Australia 123 for 9 at the close with Ben Stokes claiming five.

On the second day, England had extended their lead to 105 with nine wickets in hand before Scott Boland cut through the middle order.

Set 205, Australia raced to their target inside 29 overs after Head was promoted to open the batting in place of the injured Usman Khawaja. Indications were that the pitch was approaching its best stage for batting, similar to how last season's Test against India transpired after a clatter of opening-day wickets.

"This wicket, it kind of gets better I think at the end of day two, it's probably at its best for the game late this evening … we saw similar last year as well," captain Steven Smith said.

The Perth Test came shortly after another rapidly-moving, low-scoring contest between India and South African in Kolkata which had prompted significant debate over the surface. The rating for that pitch has yet to be made public.

The early finish in Perth is expected to cost CA somewhere in the region of AU$3-4 million.

"The match referee's "very good" rating justifies our belief Perth Stadium produced a pitch that provided a fair balance between bat and ball," James Allsopp, Cricket Australia's chief of cricket, said. "The dominance of some brilliant pace bowling from both sides and the frenetic nature of the contest meant the match lasted only two days.

"This was disappointing for fans holding tickets for days three and four, but we saw some incredible moments which captivated huge viewing audiences and will inspire even more kids to pick up a bat and ball this summer."

"As always, we want to ensure pitches across Australia have their own characteristics and we're looking forward to another enthralling contest under lights at the Gabba starting next Thursday."

There will be much intrigue into the pitch in Brisbane for the day-night Test which starts next Thursday although curator Dave Sandurski is confident it will provide a fair balance.

"All indications are there is a bit of heat around," he told AAP earlier this week. "The wicket will dry out a lot quicker so you've got to make sure you keep enough moisture in it to last five days.

"We try and make our wickets pretty much the same for four and five-day cricket. The aim is to provide a wicket where all players get a chance to perform their skills so hopefully all facets of the game come into the match."

The Gabba staged a two-day Test against South Africa in 2022-23 when too much grass was left on the surface and was rated "below average" under the ICC's previous ratings system which earned the venue a demerit point. However, there have been no issues with the pitches for the two Tests that have followed against West Indies and India.

The West Indies match in 2023-24 is the only day-night contest Australia have lost while last year's match against India was spoiled by the weather.