The opening day of the Boxing Day Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) delivered extreme chaos as Australia and England both exhibited disastrous batting displays.
By stumps, 20 wickets had fallen, two batting line-ups lay bruised, and the contest sat delicately poised with Australia holding a slender advantage. It was frantic, unforgiving and thoroughly gripping.
A Green Top and Early Carnage
Ben Stokes could not have asked for better conditions after winning the toss. Under heavy cloud cover and on a green surface, England’s pace attack went to work as nearly 95,000 fans packed into the MCG, the largest cricket crowd ever recorded at the venue.
Australia never settled. Josh Tongue was relentless, extracting movement and bounce to slice through the top order. The hosts were bundled out for a modest 152, with Tongue leading the charge through a superb five-wicket haul. At that point, England looked firmly in control.
England’s Collapse Steals the Spotlight
If Australia’s batting collapse surprised the crowd, England’s response stunned them. The tourists were ripped apart almost immediately.
Within minutes, England were 16 for four, staring at yet another nightmare in a series already slipping away. Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser found rhythm, while Scott Boland turned back the clock on the same surface where he once dismantled England with ruthless efficiency.
Ben Duckett’s difficult week worsened as he departed for two, followed swiftly by Jacob Bethell, Zak Crawley and Joe Root. The scorecard told a brutal story, and England never truly recovered.
Harry Brook attempted to counterattack, smashing boundaries and briefly lifting the mood alongside Stokes. Yet the resistance was short-lived. Boland trapped Brook lbw for 41 before ripping through the lower order in a devastating spell.
England were dismissed for just 110.
