A dramatic opening day of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne saw England's top order implode in spectacular fashion, despite a career-best bowling performance from seamer Josh Tongue that had earlier skittled Australia for 152.
Top Order Tumbles in Melbourne Meltdown
England's reply to Australia's modest first-innings total got off to a disastrous start. Ben Duckett's first innings since the headlines about England's trip to Noosa lasted just a handful of balls. He was dismissed for two, caught at mid-on off a leading edge from Mitchell Starc, taking his series tally to a meagre 99 runs at an average of 14.
The collapse accelerated rapidly. Jacob Bethell, playing his first innings of the tour after replacing Ollie Pope, edged Michael Neser to Alex Carey for a single. Zak Crawley then followed for five, caught at second slip off Starc. The situation became dire when Joe Root was caught behind for a 15-ball duck, his second nought of the series, leaving England reeling at 16 for four.
By the drinks break in the final session, the tourists had limped to 39 for four, facing a monumental task to recover from a position of early dominance with the ball.
Josh Tongue's Morning of Mastery
The first half of the day belonged unequivocally to England's Josh Tongue. The pace bowler produced a magnificent spell, claiming a career-best five wickets for 45 runs. He will begin Australia's second innings on a hat-trick after removing Michael Neser and Scott Boland with the final two deliveries of the hosts' first innings.
Having won an important toss on a green-tinged MCG pitch offering lavish seam movement, England capitalised through Tongue. He removed three batters before lunch. Jake Weatherald was strangled down the leg side for 10, before the key wicket of Marnus Labuschagne, suckered into a loose drive and caught at first slip by Root for six.
His finest moment, however, was reserved for Steve Smith. Tongue speared a delivery back through the gate as Smith aimed a wild drive, clean bowling the Australian maestro for just nine runs.
Smith's Unexpected Tongue-Twister
While Steve Smith famously boasts of never being dismissed by Jofra Archer, he has developed a glaring weakness against Josh Tongue. The Boxing Day dismissal was the fifth time Tongue has taken Smith's wicket in the five innings he has bowled to him.
This curious streak began in a 2023 county championship match, continued through both innings of the Lord's Ashes Test, and included a dismissal in The Hundred at Cardiff. The clean-bowled dismissal for nine at the MCG on cricket's biggest day is undoubtedly the most memorable chapter yet in this one-sided rivalry.
Festive Feasting and Unlikely Empathy
Off the field, England's Christmas experience was a vast improvement on their Covid-affected tour four years ago. Then, players were reportedly served a meagre pre-match meal of a buttered roll with processed meat at a St Kilda beach bar. This time, the touring party enjoyed what an insider called 'the best Christmas meal we've ever had', featuring Australian seafood and English roasts at their Melbourne hotel.
In a surprising show of solidarity, Australian captain Steve Smith also offered empathy for the criticism England faced over their mid-series break in Noosa. Smith, no stranger to media storms, said he could understand the need to 'switch off entirely' after losing two Test matches, defending their right to experience the country they are touring.
The day was also marked by a poignant tribute to the late Shane Warne at 3.50pm – reflecting his Test cap number 350 – led by his children and former teammates, drawing attention to heart health stations around the MCG.
Despite the one-sided nature of the series so far, the public appetite for Ashes cricket remained undimmed. A record crowd of 93,442 packed into the MCG, surpassing the previous ground record set during the 2015 Cricket World Cup final.
