Melbourne:
England secured a remarkable victory in the Boxing Day Test of the Ashes series, defeating Australia by four wickets inside two days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday.
Chasing a modest target of 175 runs, England reached the total at the loss of six wickets, registering one of their fastest Test wins on Australian soil in recent history.
Jacob Bethell led the chase with a composed 40, while Zak Crawley contributed 37 runs. Ben Duckett also played a crucial role, scoring 34 runs to keep England on course for victory.
For Australia, bowlers Jhye Richardson, Scott Boland, and Mitchell Starc picked up two wickets each but failed to prevent England from crossing the line.
Earlier, Australia were dismissed for 132 in their second innings, adding to their first-innings total of 152. England, however, struggled in their first innings and were bowled out for just 110 runs, making the contest finely balanced before the final chase.
The win marks England’s first Test victory on Australian soil in 15 years and ends a drought of 19 Tests without a win in the country.
Despite the defeat, Australia retain an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match Ashes series.
