Ashes 2025-26: England Claims Historic MCG Win To End 14-Year Drought

The Breakthrough: 5,468 Days in the Making

Before today, England’s last Test victory in Australia was on January 7, 2011, in Sydney. The 5,468-day wait saw England endure 18 winless matches Down Under until this chaotic weekend in Melbourne.

• The Record: This was the first time Ben Stokes and Joe Root have tasted a Test victory in Australia during their illustrious careers.
• The Pitch: The “spicy” MCG track featured 10mm of grass, resulting in 36 wickets falling in just two days. Notably, not a single over of spin was bowled during the entire match.

Match Highlights: How the Drama Unfolded

• Day 1: England won the toss and sent Australia in. Josh Tongue delivered a career-best 5/45, helping skittle the hosts for 152. However, England’s response was equally fragile, collapsing to 110 all out (trailing by 42).
• Day 2 Morning: Australia resumed on 4/0 but were dismantled for 132. Brydon Carse was the destroyer-in-chief with 4/34, including the crucial scalp of Travis Head (46), while Stokes chipped in with three wickets.
• The Chase: England approached the 175-run target with pure aggression. Ben Duckett (34) and Zak Crawley (37) added 51 runs in just 7 overs.
• The Finish: Despite a mid-innings wobble where Root and Stokes fell cheaply, 22-year-old Jacob Bethell anchored the chase with a gritty 40, and Harry Brook (18)* struck the winning runs to seal the win in 32.2 overs.

Player of the Match: Josh Tongue

The Nottinghamshire pacer was the undisputed star, finishing with match figures of 7/89. For his heroic five-wicket haul on the opening day, Tongue was also awarded the Johnny Mullagh Medal.

“This is what dreams are made of… to get on the honors board at the MCG is a special feeling,” Tongue said during the post-match presentation.

Ashes Series Status

While this victory is a massive boost for England’s morale and helps them avoid a 5-0 whitewash, the Ashes urn remains with Australia.