All the 36 wickets were taken by fast bowlers.
The fourth Test of the Ashes 2025 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground ended in England’s favour, as the visitors secured a historic win in Australia after nearly 15 years. England registered a four wicket victory in a match that finished inside two days, raising serious questions about the nature of the pitch used for the Test. A total of 36 wickets fell across the two days, making it extremely difficult for batters and turning the contest into a bowler dominated affair.
The MCG surface offered excessive assistance to fast bowlers from the very first session. On Day 1 alone, 20 wickets fell. Batters struggled to survive, with uneven bounce and sharp movement creating problems throughout the match. Day 2 followed a similar pattern, with another 16 wickets falling before the game concluded. The pitch drew criticism from several quarters, including Australian captain.
ALSO READ:
Steve Smith, who felt the conditions tilted too heavily in favour of the bowlers and did not allow batters to settle at the crease.
Smith acknowledged that the pitch had more help for bowlers than intended and suggested that a slightly different grass covering could have made the contest more balanced.
“I’d say maybe a touch too much (in favour of the bowlers). It was definitely tricky out there. When you see 36 wickets fall in two days, that probably tells you it did a bit more than intended. Maybe taking a bit of grass off or easing the preparation slightly would’ve helped. But that’s how it was, and we just had to adapt,” Steve Smith said.
Concerns were also raised within Cricket Australia, with officials unhappy about another Test finishing in just two days, especially at a venue like the MCG that is expected to produce competitive five day cricket.
This was the second Test of the Ashes 2025 to end inside six sessions. Earlier in the series, the first Test in Perth also finished in two days, with Australia winning. This time, England fought back and won in Melbourne.
Australia were bowled out for 152 in their first innings, with Josh Tongue taking five wickets for England. England struggled in response and were dismissed for 110 on the same day. Michael Neser took four wickets, while Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc picked up three and two respectively. On the second day, Australia collapsed again, getting bowled out for 132 in their second innings. Brydon Carse claimed four wickets, and Ben Stokes took three.
Australia’s total gave England a target of 175 runs. They chased it in 34.3 overs, losing six wickets. Jacob Bethell scored 40, while Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett added useful contributions of over 30 runs each. The win was England’s first Test victory in Australia in nearly 15 years.
With this result, England reduced the Ashes 2025 series deficit to 3-1. They will now head to Sydney aiming to win the final Test and add some respectability to the scoreline.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
