England walked into the MCG bruised by a 0–3 Ashes scoreline, but the dressing-room message was steadier than the headlines suggested. With the series already lost, the visitors turned their attention to pride — and a statistic that had lingered since 1998. For 27 years, no England bowler in men’s Tests had taken a five-wicket haul at the MCG. That changed when Josh Tongue, drafted in for the injured Jofra Archer, delivered control, pace and, ultimately, history. He became the first England bowler since Dean Headley in 1998 to claim a men’s Test fifer at the MCG and helped England bundle Australia out for just 152 in the Boxing Day Test.
Top order cracked before lunch
Australia’s openers, Head and Weatherald, opted for caution early, leaving well and rotating strike. The first real intent came when Head struck two crisp boundaries off Brydon Carse. But England hit back instantly. Gus Atkinson’s nip-backer kissed the inside edge and clattered the stumps. Head was gone for 12.
Tongue then opened his account with a wicket that matched the match plan. A skiddy delivery angled down the leg side drew a faint tickle from Weatherald, with Jamie Smith completing the catch. Australia were 31/2, the rebuild already needed before the lunch interval.
Labuschagne edged behind for 6, Smith for 5. Australia’s top order had folded cheaply, undone by disciplined lengths and purposeful fields. England later conveyed that Stokes felt the spell carried “intent without losing shape”. Australia were 51/4 inside 20 overs. Their batting engine room was already misfiring.
Stokes–Carey duel ends England’s way
Alex Carey, often Australia’s rescue man, tried to rebuild with Khawaja. He absorbed Stokes’ probing lines, waited out maidens and picked up occasional singles. But England didn’t blink. Stokes kept the cordon stacked and the leg slip busy. One finally paid off. A thin edge flew to leg slip, where Zak Crawley grabbed a sharp, low chance. Carey departed for 20. England had won the patience battle. Australia slipped to 91/6.
Khawaja followed soon after, nicking behind off Atkinson for 29, England successfully confirming the catch via DRS.
Green–Neser push, then collapse
Cameron Green and Michael Neser delivered Australia’s most productive passage, adding 52 in 64 balls. Neser struck three boundaries in a row off Tongue, while Green’s pull shots briefly shifted the energy. England later indicated that Stokes called the stand “a reminder that counters are fine, but only if the game doesn’t run away early”.
It had already run away early. The stand ended with Carse’s direct-hit run-out catching Green short. Starc nicked off for 1, and Stokes himself claimed a tough catch at mid-off to remove Starc. The lower order had no foothold left.
Tongue’s defining spell
Tongue returned to wrap up the tail with precision. He bowled Neser for 35, then cleaned up Boland and the rest of the innings in quick succession. His final figures: 5/45 in 11.2 overs — the first England men’s fifer at the MCG since 1998.
Atkinson supported superbly with 2/28 from 14 overs, while Carse and Stokes claimed one each. England’s bowling group described the effort internally as “repeatable, relentless, and built on plans — not panic”.