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Debasis Sen, Melbourne: Amidst the festivities surrounding the arrival of Christmas there is growing concern on how the wicket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will behave ahead of the third test match between India and Australia. With less than a week remaining for the Boxing Day test match, the 22 yards at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is the talking point. Following how the wicket at Perth behaved during the second test match, where the home team outplayed India in all departments to inflict a 146 runs defeat to level the series, it is even more challenging for new MCG curator Matt Page. Page, who took charge after the Ashes test match last year, produced a bouncy track for the first two Shield games this year. But the last Shield game between Western Australia and Victoria has raised serious doubts about the nature of the surface. Last year the International Cricket Council slapped the MCG with a “poor” pitch rating last summer and further sanctions could leave the ground at risk of being stripped of international cricket. It was rumored that MCG might face a fine of 15000 dollars but somehow it didn’t happen. But this time if the same thing happen the MCG authority will have to pay 30000 dollars and the ground would be banned to host any kind of matches for next 5 years. There are more trouble waiting for the MCG management because Ranjan Madugule is the match referee of the ongoing Border Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia who was also the match referee during the last Ashes series. Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell in an interview to Herald Sun said, “The pitch did not deteriorate at all” in the dull Victoria-Western Australia draw 10 days ago and the MCG is already in the gun after last year’s Boxing Day bore. “I think there would be concerns (for Boxing Day),” Maxwell told the Herald Sun. “Especially with the way the Shield wicket played. It did not deteriorate at all. It probably got flatter — it got better to bat on in day four. “You’ve only got to look at the way that Ashton Turner and Marcus Stoinis were able to pretty calmly play out a pretty good bowling attack, and a bowling attack that’s been very successful over the last few years. “They did it pretty much with ease. It’s a little bit worrying.” Page has left 14 millimetres of grass on the pitch - 4mm more than is customary in a Shield clash for the all important Boxing Day clash. Mitchell Starc, who came back into form at the Perth test said he was unsure what to expect in Melbourne. The left arm tearaway fast bowler missed the Ashes test last year. "I didn’t play last year. I had to watch from the side and it didn’t do a thing for five days so, hopefully, they’ve sorted it out," he said. "It sounds like they’ve been trying a few things with the Shield cricket there in the first few rounds. "I think it may be a surprise, what they actually dish out next week, but I think we’ll just sort of review this week and enjoy a moment of reflecting on the hard work we’ve had to do this week and then we’ll focus on Melbourne when we get there." The stakes for Page, and the venue in general, are high ahead of next week’s clash between Australia and India. On the other hand Virat Kohli led Indian cricket team reached Melbourne later in the evening from Perth. There won’t be any practice session for next 3 days and the Men in Blue will first practice on December 23 for Boxing Day Test.