The fourth Ashes Test at the MCG was wild—runs were hard to come by, and neither team looked comfortable at the crease. Australia scraped together 152 in their first innings, but England didn’t do much better, posting just 110 in reply. The second inning kept everyone on edge, with both sides fighting for every run. In the end, England pulled off the chase of 175 and grabbed a win with 4 wickets that people will talk about for a long time. More than 186,000 fans packed the stands over the match, soaking up every tense moment.
| England’s Top Performer | Josh Tongue (5 wickets in 1st Inning and 2 wickets in 2nd Inning) |
| Australia’s Top Performer (Bowling) | Scott Boland (3 Wickets in 1st Inning and 2 wickets in 2nd Inning) |
| Best Fielding Performance | Ben Stokes (Took a stunning catch of Starc) |
| Player of the Match | Josh Tongue |
Australia’s First Innings Collapse
Australia won the toss, but things went sideways right from the start. England’s bowlers were on point, attacking from the very first ball. By the first drinks break, Australia had already stumbled to 34 for 3. Steve Smith showed up at the crease with just a single run to his name.
England thought they had Smith trapped LBW in the 14th over and went for a review, but umpire Dharmasena’s not-out call stood. Smith survived, and Australia limped to 50 runs after nearly 18 overs.
By lunch, the damage was clear—four wickets down for just 72 runs. Usman Khawaja managed 21, and Alex Carey hung around for 9. Australia badly needed someone to stick around and build a partnership.
England kept the pressure on. They challenged another not-out call against Khawaja just before the 29th over, and this time, the review went England’s way. Khawaja headed back, and Australia finally reached 100 in the 36th over.
At the next drinks break, the scoreboard read 120 for 6. Cameron Green and Michael Neser tried to steady things, putting together a 50-run stand in just over 10 overs. Green made 17, and Neser chipped in with 31.
Australia crept past 150 in the 43rd over, but it didn’t last. The last wickets fell in a hurry, and the team was all out for just 152 after 45 overs. England’s bowlers absolutely owned the day.
England’s First Innings Struggle
England’s reply got off to a rough start. Their top order just crumbled under Australia’s pace attack, and by the first drinks break, they were stuck at 39 for 4. Harry Brook was hanging in there on 26, with Ben Stokes on 3.
Brook and Stokes tried to steady things. They put on 50 runs together in 50 balls—Brook picked up 34, and Stokes chipped in with 15. England finally crossed 50 after 11 and a half overs.
But then it all fell apart again. Wickets kept tumbling, and England slid to 77 for 7. Stokes was still fighting, sitting on 16, but he didn’t get much support. England’s collapse just kept rolling, no matter what he tried.
They managed to scrape past 100 in the 26th over, but that was about it. The whole side got bowled out for just 110 in under 30 overs. Josh Tongue was left unbeaten on 1. Australia grabbed a narrow 42-run lead heading into their second innings.
The stands were packed—over 94,000 people showed up for Day 1. Both teams had their moments, but really, the pitch made sure nobody had it easy.
Australia’s Second Innings
Australia kicked off their second innings late on Day 1, finishing the evening at 4 without loss after just one over. Scott Boland had all the runs; Travis Head hadn’t scored yet.
When play picked up on Day 2, Australia looked like they wanted a big lead. They moved past 50 in the 14th over, and at the first drinks break, they were 51 for 2, with Head going well on 28.
But after that, things went south fast. By lunch, Australia had crashed to 98 for 6. Steve Smith was hanging in there on 16, with Cameron Green on 6. England tried to get Smith out with a review in the 27th over, but it didn’t work, so Smith survived.
In the end, Australia got bowled out for just 132 in a little over 34 overs. Smith ended up top-scoring with 24. That left England needing 175 runs to win.
England’s Successful Chase
England came out swinging in their chase. Early on, Australia tried to get Zak Crawley out LBW in the fifth over, but “Umpire’s Call” kept him safe. Right from the start, Crawley and Ben Duckett went after the bowlers. They raced to 50 runs together in just 41 balls—Duckett smacked 34, and Crawley chipped in with 15. By the seventh over, England already had 50 on the board.
Australia didn’t let up, reviewing another call against Crawley in the eleventh over, but once again, the decision stayed with the batter. By tea, England sat at 77 for 2, with Crawley on 22.
They kept up the pace, reaching 100 runs in just under 16 overs. Crawley tried to overturn his own dismissal in the nineteenth over, but this time, the review didn’t help him. At the drinks break, England were 141 for 4, with Joe Root on 12.
Root had his own brush with DRS in the 29th over but survived—another “Umpire’s Call” went his way. England crossed 150 runs before the 28th over was done, inching closer and closer to the target.
Match Summary
The Ashes 4th Test had a bit of everything—tight bowling, a tricky pitch, and some gutsy batting. England didn’t just win; they took charge from the start. Their bowlers squeezed Australia twice, never letting them settle, and then the batters knocked off the runs without much drama.
Day 2 was packed, with over 92,000 fans in the stands. Add in the first day, and you’ve got more than 186,000 people turning up for the action. This win keeps England’s hopes alive in the series. Now, with the final test coming up, both sides have everything on the line.
Leave a Comment