England chased down 175 to win by four wickets against Australia at the MCG
This ended a 15-year Ashes drought in Australia
The Test finished inside two days, the first Ashes series in 129 years to feature multiple two-day matches
England finally ended their long-standing misery in Australia, defeating the hosts by four wickets in the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday to snap an 18-match winless streak Down Under.
Despite having already conceded the Ashes after losing the first three Tests at Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide, England produced a defiant response at the MCG, wrapping up victory inside two days – mirroring Australia’s own two-day triumph in the series opener at Perth.
Remarkably, it marked the first time in 129 years that a single Ashes series has featured multiple Tests completed within two days.
Barmy Army Celebrate Rare Success
Set a modest 175-run target in the fourth innings, England reached 178/6, with 98 still required after the tea interval, triggering jubilant celebrations among thousands of travelling Barmy Army supporters.
The victory ended a drought stretching back to the 2013-14 Ashes, when Australia completed a 5-0 whitewash. Since England’s 2010-11 series win, they had endured 16 defeats and two draws across 18 Tests in Australia over nearly 15 years.
“It’s obviously been a tough tour up until now,” England captain Ben Stokes said. “The way that we did it was fantastic. It showed bravery, we were courageous in the way we operated.”
However, Stokes admitted the unusually short match was far from ideal. “Being brutally honest, that’s not really what you want,” he said. “Boxing Day Test match, you don’t want a game finishing in less than two days.”
Early Momentum Seals England Victory
England surged to 70/2 in the first 10 overs of the chase, with Ben Duckett (34) and Brydon Carse (6) falling early. Zak Crawley (37) and Jacob Bethell (40) added vital contributions before Scott Boland struck to keep Australia in the contest.
Brief resistance followed as Joe Root (15) and Stokes (2) departed cheaply, but Jamie Smith and Harry Brook calmly guided England home.
“Ten runs has never felt so far away when I got out,” Stokes reflected. “To end up on the right side of the result after a long period of time is a pretty special feeling.”
England Bowlers Exploit MCG Conditions
Earlier on Day 2, England dismissed Australia for 132 in their second innings shortly after lunch, exploiting an MCG surface that offered significant sideways movement for pace bowlers.
Australia collapsed dramatically in the morning session, slipping from 82/3 to 88/6. Travis Head (46) was dismissed first, followed swiftly by Usman Khawaja (0) and Alex Carey (4).
Stokes delivered a crucial blow after lunch, removing Cameron Green (19) caught at second slip, while Brydon Carse (4/34) cleaned up the tail.
“They got off to a flyer,” Australia captain Steve Smith said. “If we got 50 or 60 more across both innings, we might have been there in the end.”
Australia had held a 46-run overall lead after Day 1, having scored 152 and bowling England out for 110.
Cricket Australia Voices Pitch Concerns
England seamer Josh Tongue, named Player of the Match, claimed a career-best 5/45 on the opening day to spearhead England’s fightback, while Michael Neser (4/45) led Australia’s bowling effort.
Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg admitted the unusually short Test raised commercial concerns. “Short Tests are bad for business,” Greenberg said, adding that CA may take a more active role in pitch preparation in the future.
Record Crowds Despite Two-Day Finish
Despite the abbreviated contest, attendance at the MCG remained massive. 92,045 spectators packed the ground on Saturday – the second-highest Test crowd in Australian history, trailing only Friday’s opening-day attendance of 94,199.
Officials confirmed that 90,000 tickets had already been sold for the now-redundant third day.
The teams now turn their attention to the fifth and final Ashes Test, which will take place on January 4 in Sydney.
(With AP Inputs)
