England Accumulate Remains Of 'Bazball' To Stun Australia By 4 Wickets At The MCG, Win First Test 'Down Under' After 5468 Days

England have finally arrived to the party, a bit too late maybe, but they have managed to beat Australia 'Down Under' for the first time since 2011, the last time they won The Ashes on Australian soil. Prior to this Test match, England were down 3-0 in the series, had already lost The Ashes and had nothing to lose, but they have managed to string together the lost pieces, gather themselves and earn themselves a consolation win in what has been a tough tour for them.

A win at Melbourne will do a world of good for the English team who have been under heavy scrutiny from the fans and experts. England have not only denied Australia their clean sweep, but they are also alive in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 race.

ALSO READ | Australia Stare At Another Injury Scare Ahead Of ICC T20 World Cup 2026, Star Batter Faces Race Against Time After Sustaining Injury In BBL

England End 14-Year-Old Drought

England have finally managed to end their 18-match winless streak in Australia and that too in the 'Boxing Day' Test. The match might've ended under two days, but England's attack left Australia clueless as they resorted to their way of playing 'Bazball' and chased down over 170 runs on a pitch that was tricky.

Australia on the other hand, who have won the Ashes, ended up losing just their third Boxing Day Test since 2011. While chasing the total in the fourth innings, English openers kickstarted proceedings in their trademark aggressive style which pushed Australia on the backfoot. The turf had demons of its own, but England's attacking mode made a mockery of what was supposed to be a tricky chase.

Josh Tongue in particular fitted as easily as the missing piece of the puzzle for England and played a pivotal role in the visitors winning the game. Tongue picked up crucial 7 wickets and was adjudged the player of the match. Despite England's historic win, it is the wicket that will be talked about for a very long time.

ALSO READ | Former Ashes Winner Tears Into The MCG Pitch, Labels Spicy And Green-Tinged Melbourne Wicket As Joke

List Of Ashes Tests To End Inside Two Days

• 1888: Lord's
• 1888: The Oval
• 1888: Manchester
• 1890: The Oval
• 1921: Nottingham (excluding rest day)
• 2025: Perth
• 2025: Melbourne

England Pick Up Crucial WTC Points

There hasn't been any change in the World Test Championship points table. Australia continue to be at the top of the table despite their loss at Melbourne and as far as England are concerned, this is only their third win in the ongoing cycle and they continue to be on the seventh spot of the WTC points table.