England Stun Australia at the MCG, Sealing Rare Two-Day Ashes Victory
England made history with a stunning two-day Ashes Test victory against Australia at the MCG, marking their first win Down Under since 2011.
England ended a long wait for a Test victory in Australia with a dramatic four-wicket win over Australia inside two days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, securing their first success on Australian soil since January 2011.
The victory in the fourth Ashes Test was especially significant for Joe Root and Ben Stokes, two central figures of England’s modern era who had repeatedly come close without tasting a Test win Down Under. It was Root’s 18th Test in Australia and Stokes’s 13th.
Chasing a target of 175, England overcame a surface that had offered little mercy to batters throughout the match. England’s openers, who had struggled for consistency earlier in the series, finally provided a platform. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added 51 for the first wicket, before Duckett was bowled by a sharp Mitchell Starc yorker after scoring 34 from 26 balls.
England briefly experimented by sending all-rounder Brydon Carse in at No. 3 for a quick burst, but the move did not pay off. Crawley followed soon after for 37, and debutant Jacob Bethell gave England fresh momentum with a composed 40 before falling to Scott Boland. When Root and Stokes were dismissed in quick succession, Australia sensed a late opening. However, Jamie Smith and Harry Brook calmly closed out the chase, with Brook unbeaten on 18.
Earlier, England’s bowlers had laid the foundation by dismissing Australia for 132 in the second innings. Travis Head top-scored with 46, while captain Steve Smith remained unbeaten on 24, but support was scarce on a challenging pitch. Australia’s two innings lasted just 79.5 overs combined, among their lowest totals in Test history since 1900.
The match was notable not only for the result but also for its pace. Like the opening Test in Perth, the Melbourne contest finished inside two days — only the fourth such Test in Australia and the first at the MCG since 1931.
Despite the defeat, Australia continue to lead the Ashes series 3–1. The fifth and final Test begins in Sydney on January 4, where England will seek to build on a rare and morale-boosting breakthrough.