England secured their first Test cricket victory in Australia in nearly 15 years, defeating the hosts by four wickets in a dramatic two-day finish at the MCG in Melbourne. The win ended a streak of 18 winless Tests on Australian soil dating back to January 2011 and prevented a series whitewash.
The tourists chased down 175 runs inside 33 overs after bowling Australia out for just 132 in their second innings. Jacob Bethell top-scored with 40 runs on his Ashes debut, while Harry Brook sealed victory by hitting the ball to the midwicket fence with 18 runs to his name.
Australia's collapse
Australia crumbled under pressure on the second morning, losing their last seven wickets in swift succession. Brydon Carse claimed four wickets for 24 runs, dismantling the middle order with clinical precision. Josh Tongue took two wickets, while captain Ben Stokes chipped in with three wickets.
Travis Head provided Australia's only resistance with 46 runs before falling to Carse. Australia fell twice in the match within just 79.5 overs - their quickest collapse since Don Bradman's debut Test in Brisbane in 1928.
England's aggressive chase
Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley set the tone with a blistering opening stand of 51 runs in just seven overs. Duckett smashed 34 from 26 balls before Mitchell Starc bowled him.
Bethell steadied the innings with a mature 40, forming a crucial 47-run partnership with Crawley. England wobbled briefly when Joe Root and Stokes fell cheaply, but Brook kept his composure to guide the team home before a crowd of 92,000.
Series implications
The victory reduces Australia's series lead to 3-1 heading into the New Year Test in Sydney. While England had already surrendered the Ashes urn after 11 days, they avoided the humiliation of a 5-0 whitewash.
The match's brevity sparked criticism from pundits. Curator Matt Page left the pitch at the MCG with 10mm of grass, creating a seamer's paradise that made batting treacherous throughout.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
