How did Day 2 of the 4th Ashes Test go between Australia vs England? — Review, Turning Points & more
England grabbed a consolation win in the blink-and-you-miss fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, December 27. The Three Lions took 10 Australian wickets inside the first two sessions
on Day 2 and registered a morale-boosting four-wicket win in the final one.
While Gus Atkinson sustained a hamstring injury after bowling just four overs in the morning session, the rest of the English bowlers stepped up and bagged wickets at regular intervals. While Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne got good deliveries, the rest of the Australian batters didn't show the composure needed on the lively MCG track.
Brydon Carse starred with a four-for as Australia were dismissed for 132 in 34.3 overs. Head top-scored for the hosts with a 67-ball 46. England needed 175 runs in the fourth innings to pull one back after losing the first three Tests.
Openers Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley got England off to a blistering start, adding 51 runs in seven overs. However, Mitchell Starc provided the initial breakthrough, sending Duckett back for a 26-ball 34. Brydon Carse was promoted to No. 3, but his stay at the crease was short-lived.
Jacob Bethell played an enterprising 40-run knock, but the likes of Joe Root and Ben Stokes departed cheaply. Crawley must be disappointed not to see England home, getting out for a 48-ball 37.
In the end, it was the young duo of Harry Brook and Jamie Smith who took the Three Lions to a much-needed victory in the 33rd over.
Top batting performance of the day — Jacob Bethell
Jacob Bethell was out after scoring just one run in the first innings. While the target was paltry, the 22-year-old must have been under a bit of pressure when he walked out to bat. However, he took the attack to the Australian bowlers and his 46-ball 40, comprising five boundaries, made the job easier for the England batters to follow.
Top bowling performance of the day — Brydon Carse
Brydon Carse has bowled with a lot of heart during the series. He caused all sorts of problems for the Australian batters and sent Travis Head, Alex Carey, Michael Neser, and Mitchell Starc back to the hut. The right-arm seamer finished with figures of 4/34 in 11 overs.
Who was the Player of the Match?
Josh Tongue was awarded Player of the Match for his brilliant bowling display across both innings. In the first essay, he finished with figures of 5/45 in 11.2 overs. The right-arm speedster followed it up with two more wickets in Australia's second innings.
Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved
- England win a Test match in Australia for the first time since January 2011 (18 Tests) after nearly 15 years of waiting.
- On the list of the fewest balls faced by Australia across both innings in Tests since 1900, this ranks fourth. They were dismissed twice in 479 balls. The lowest in 360, which was also against England in Melbourne in 1904.
- In terms of the lowest match aggregates for Australia since 2000, this ranks third. Across the two innings, they made just 284 runs. Their lowest in this duration was 246 versus South Africa in Hobart in 2016.
- This was the seventh instance when an Ashes Test match ended inside two days.
- This was also the fourth-shortest completed Ashes Test by balls (852).
- Harry Brook became the fastest batter to notch up 3000 Test runs in terms of balls faced. He achieved the landmark in just 3468 balls.
When is the next match?
The fifth and final Ashes Test is scheduled to commence on Sunday, January 4. It will be held at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
