MCG accused of swapping pitch to suit Australia's pacemen in Boxing Day Ashes Test

False accusations ... groundskeepers refute claims the MCG pitch was made to benefit Australian attack.

While Ricky Ponting remains hopeful the broken little finger on his left hand will not stop him playing in the biggest game on the cricketing calendar, the Melbourne Cricket Club insists the Test pitch was chosen before the Perth Test.

London's Daily Mail reported that Australia had made a dramatic late switch to a new pitch for the all-important fourth Test.

"Buoyed by their thrashing of England on a fast, bouncy surface to level the series, Australia are desperately trying to replicate the same conditions for their pace attack at the MCG," the newspaper said. "That means the ground's curator, in conjunction with the selectors, has agreed to abandon the surface he was preparing for the Boxing Day Test because it is too dry and could have played into England's hands."

MCC chief executive Stephen Gough rejected claims that curator Cameron Hodgkins has or would take instructions on how to prepare the Boxing Day pitch.

Gough is more excited about the fact that the Boxing Day crowd may break the world record of 90,800, set against the West Indies in 1961.

The last Ashes MCG Test four years ago attracted more than 89,000 on a dreadful cold and dreary Boxing Day.

"The presales are virtually identical to the last Ashes Test, with almost 70,000 tickets sold for this match," Gough said. 

"That's about the same as 2006 and we got more than 89,000. The indicators are strong (for a world record)."

Ryan Harris, one of Australia's bowling heroes in Perth, with nine wickets for the match, including 6-47 in the second innings, was happy with what he saw at the MCG earlier in the season.

"The wicket we played on in the Shield game was quite good, fast and had a bit of grass on it, so I'm not sure what the Test wicket is going to be like," Harris said.