Josh Tongue enjoys 'dream' day extending remarkable Steve Smith record, as bowler backs England to take 'three or four in the first hour' on Day 2
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Published 26/12/2025 at 09:39 GMT
Josh Tongue sparked an overdue Ashes fightback as England bowled Australia out for 152 in front of a record Boxing Day crowd at the MCG. Although Australia have already secured the urn with an unassailable 3-0 lead, England delivered a far sharper display, dismissing the hosts before a crowd of 94,199. Tongue took five for 45 and produced a superb delivery that uprooted Steve Smith's middle stump.
'What dreams are made of ' - Tongue reflects on five-wicket haul
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Josh Tongue described his career best of five for 45 - including the scalp of Steve Smith - as "what dreams are made of" as 20 wickets fell on a frenzied day one of the fourth Test of the 2025/26 NRMA Insurance men’s Ashes.
Australia were put into bat by England for the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
The hosts, having scraped together just 152, would still end the day on top, 46 runs ahead after skittling England for 110.
Acting Australia captain Smith had warned the 10mm grass covering would demand precision from batters - and he was proved right as the number of wickets to fall eclipsed the 19 that tumbled on the opening day in Perth.
Tongue, who missed the first two Tests but vindicated his recall in Adelaide, was the pick of the England bowlers as he claimed figures of 5-45 - including the wicket of Smith.
He bowled fuller than the rest of the England attack and, with a superb nip-backer that removed Smith, continued a remarkable streak of dismissing the Australian great in all four first-class innings in which they have faced each other, including once in the County Championship.
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'England must strike early on Day 2' - Cook
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Tongue admitted he wasn't aware of his record, but told TNT Sports: "I think I've got him out a couple of times now. I think I got him out this year in The Hundred as well.
"It's what dreams are made of really. Growing up as a kid, I always wanted to play in the Ashes, and especially away from home as well. My family are here as well, so it's obviously more special.
"I just can't really explain how I'm feeling. I always like to see the ball nipping back. I'm always naturally trying to get the ball to go away from a right-hander, just like the [Marnus] Labuschagne wicket.
"We had similar plans last week in Adelaide. I feel like with my angle, sort of angling it back in and being brave with that length as well.
"I feel like when I'm at my best, I'm hitting that fuller length and making sure I'm hitting the pitch hard as well and frankly got the nip.
"Getting Labuschagne out and then that one to get Smith out, coming back in, it was a nice feeling."
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Highlights: Rollercoaster Day 1 sees 20 wickets fall as Australia lead England
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Back in 2023, Smith struck a century during the second Test at Lord's, but his first innings came to an end off the bowling of Tongue as he could only add another 10 runs after passing the milestone.
More Tongue torment would arrive for Smith in the second innings to complete a pair of dismissals in the same Test, but his 34 would not prove in vain as Australia would go on to win by 43 runs and go 2-0 up in the series.
The Boxing Day crowd of 94,199 - a record for a cricket match in Melbourne - relished seeing the wickets fall as Tongue resumed his battle with Smith, and the pace bowler remains confident England can claim victory despite struggling in their reply to Australia's modest total.
He added: "100% [there's still belief]. We come tomorrow morning, we put the ball in the right areas again, like we did this morning, and we can get them three or four down in the first hour.
"But it's making sure we do exactly what we did this morning. Fingers crossed, we can take a few wickets tomorrow and then chase the runs down.
"I feel like the group of bowlers that we've got is a very exciting group. They're at a good pace, nip the ball, swing the ball.
"I feel like when anyone's on a good day, it could have been [Brydon] Carse, it could have been Gus Atkinson]. I thought Gus bowled really well as well. So on our days, I think we're a very good attack."
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'England are all over the place!' - Root dismissed as fourth wicket falls
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Cook: Pitch needs to flatten out to avoid two-day Test
Any suggestion that Australia’s unassailable 3–0 lead would drain the Melbourne showpiece of meaning was swept aside as the mayhem of 20 wickets ensued, with bowlers on both sides exploiting a treacherous pitch offering extravagant movement.
It nearly yielded 21, too, had a late chance from nightwatchman Scott Boland been taken.
Reflecting on a pulsating day of Test cricket, Sir Alastair Cook had plenty of sympathy for those at the crease on a bowler-friendly surface.
"It sums up the day that the loudest moment was Scott Boland blocking the last over," said Cook. "It summed up the madness.
"I think we have to talk a little bit about this wicket. It's not a great Test match wicket. Unless it flattens out on days two, three and four, if we get there, this is going to be a two-day Test. That was too heavily weighted in the bowlers' favour.
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Do England need change of captain and coach? Swann and Cook have their say...
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"The bowlers didn't have to work that hard for the wickets. If you put the ball in the right area, it's going to nip either way.
"I actually think it was a bit of an unfair contest. Could both sides have batted better? Yes, but I was watching some of that bowling and wondering how you face that."
Swann: Duckett looked like he didn't want to bat
England, as so often the case in this series, had opportunities but failed the test emphatically, slumping to 16 for four inside eight overs.
Ben Duckett's difficult tour deepened when he chipped Mitchell Starc to mid-on, dragging his average down to 14.14, before Jacob Bethell made a fleeting return at No. 3.
Former spin bowler Graeme Swann has called on Duckett to summon the strength of character from within in order to snap out of his current slump.
Swann said: "I was watching him before he went out to bat, and normally he looks very calm and very at ease. But there seemed to be an air of timidness about him.
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Nightmare start for England again with Duckett gone for two
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"He didn't look like he really wanted to get out there and bat. He was almost trying to be too laid-back to show it's not affecting him - which tells me that it is.
"The team need to get around him, because he's so important and he could still go on and get some runs. He needs to be encouraged.
"England need him to go out there and be effervescent. They need him to go out and play his shots and perform for us."
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Watch every ball of the Ashes live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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