England are on the brink of a historic victory in Melbourne, requiring just 175 runs to secure their first Test win in Australia since January 2011. The chance comes after a spectacular second batting collapse by the home side, who were dismissed for a paltry 132 in their second innings.
Australia's Historic Batting Failure
Having been skittled for 152 on the first day, Australia could only muster 132 on the second, meaning they lost all 20 wickets in just 79.5 overs. This represents their shortest completed Test match in terms of overs batted since the 1928-29 Ashes series, when they lasted 76.1 overs in Brisbane. England's bowlers capitalised brilliantly, with Brydon Carse claiming four wickets and captain Ben Stokes taking three, despite a hamstring injury to fellow seamer Gus Atkinson.
Bazball Chase and Pitch Fury
England's chase began at a frenetic 'Bazball' pace, with openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett racing to a 50 partnership in only 6.5 overs. Duckett fell for 34, but Crawley's 37 helped reduce the target significantly before he was trapped lbw. However, the match has been dominated by furious criticism of the Melbourne pitch. Former England captain Michael Vaughan labelled the surface "a joke" on social media platform X, after 32 wickets fell in under two days. Ex-batsman Kevin Pietersen called the situation a "utter shambles and complete disrespect" to Test cricket.
Consequences for Fans and Players
The likely two-day finish has left thousands of travelling fans, many of whom flew in for the scheduled third day, out of pocket and disappointed. This series has now seen two two-day finishes in four matches. On the field, England's fast-bowling resources have been decimated by injury. After losing Mark Wood and Jofra Archer earlier in the tour, Gus Atkinson broke down on day two in Melbourne, likely paving the way for Matthew Potts to debut in Sydney. For Australia, all-rounder Cameron Green is under growing pressure after another failure, averaging just 18 with the bat this series.
Despite Australia's top-order struggles – opener Jake Weatherald averages 20 and number three Marnus Labuschagne averages below 25 – England have been unable to capitalise fully due to their own batting inconsistencies. The stage is now set for a tense run chase that could reignite the Ashes contest and end a long wait for English success on Australian soil.
