Test Match Special - England’s men win first Ashes Test down under in 15 years

Episode Date: December 27, 2025

England beat Australia by 4 wickets at the MCG to end a run of 18 winless Tests. We hear from Ben Stokes, Josh Tongue, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell and Steve Smith plus Simon Mann is joined by Jonathan Agnew, Phil Tufnell, Glenn McGrath and Andy Zaltzman.

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Bowls to Brooke who turns out away It's flicked something bat or five pat It doesn't matter Their leg buys And the ball skims over the boundary And England

win their first test match In Australia for the best part of 15 years A bizarre game The second in this series that has been completed within two days The news from Melbourne is that England

have won their first test match for nearly 15 years in Australia they've won by four wickets they were set 175 to win they got there in 32.2 overs they were helped by an excellent opening stand between Crawley and Duckett they put on 51 in seven overs England were positive and that got them going they lost wickets towards the end

but there were rarely time during that England chase when he thought they were going to stumble this time so they got over the line Australia bowed out for 132 Travis Head made 46 Steve Smith was left 24 not out didn't get any support from the lower order Cameron Green played a poor shot when Australia were trying to battle after lunch he was caught at slip for 19 the tail fell away

Briden Carr's taking four for 34 Josh tongue two for 44 and Ben Stokes three for 24. Gus Atkinson walked off with a hamstring injury so England would die out of three bowlers. So great credit to that bowling attack. I thought they might have wilted an Australia. If they had been able to extend it into the afternoon, they might have been able to put some pressure on England and build a really challenging total. But 175 to win.

The context of this series thought England might find it difficult and the context of this surface as well. But they got there in 32.2.2 over. Jacob Bethel, one of the big moments of his life, actually, his cricketing life, making 14, a really assured fashion for his slap one to cover. Harry Brooke at the end was 18 not out. Root was out towards the end for 15 Stokes for 2. But England have won in Australia,

and we haven't said that for a long time. Not since Sydney in 2011. I've got Phil Tufton alongside Glenn McGrath is here. Jonathan is down on the far side of the ground and will get some reaction from England Captain Ben Stokes and others. How would you just sum it up then, Tuffers? Well, no, you just said, haven't won there for 15 years, you know, and that just shows how hard it is to come down there and even just win a game, let alone a series. But I think they've done that one for the coach and the captain, you know. I think that they've, it was nice to freshen it up a bit, wasn't it?

Sometimes you just bring a few new faces into the side. it just gives you a bit more of a buzz and a bit more of a lift. But I think they owe their skipper one there, you know, a performance. Just they've been in some, they've been coming for some criticism the way they've played. And they've done cricket we've been here. Rob Key we've been here in sort of coming over here, trying to explain it away to these thousands of fans here that have, you know, followed them through thick and thin. so you really do get the feeling that that is a dressing room

that is still very much together you know to pull out a performance like that is tough three nil down many a sides would have just crumbled at the start of the game and at the start of today did you think it was possible yes absolutely because in these games anything can happen look at Perth you know Perth was you know we were all sitting there on the first one weren't we going

so I've got what did they need 200 Australia 105 could be tricky could be tricky that is, as Glenn was saying, basketball is for the fourth innings. It is, without a doubt. Look at this test. I think this is why England liked to play. They actually like to bowl first and chase

in the fourth innings. They've been very good at it, which then makes you think about Perth even more. They won the toss. They had four fast bowlers and they decided to bat. If they decided to bowl first then, who knows, it could have been different results. So it shows here that, yeah, they bounce back.

I think they deserve the win. They needed a win, not only for themselves, but the supporters that have traveled from the other side of the world. So to do it in two days, I don't think anyone thought that at the start of the test, but that pitch had a bit of life in it. And England hung on long enough and bowled well enough in that second inns to set a target they could chase. So well done to Ben Stokes and his team. And the way they approached it today was the right way as well. We sensed that was how they were going to do it.

They had to take it on. They had to. You know, to go out there and just look to, you know, to hit it around, get singles on a pitch that's doing a bit. But, yeah, to me, like Tufford said, this is what baseball was for, is fourth innings to go out, put the pressure back on the Australian bowlers, and they did that opening partnership with really set it up

and got the momentum for them. And to be honest, you know, Australia couldn't claw it back from there. Yeah, I'm really happy for Josh Tom. you know, might be saying, well, where was he? The first two, perhaps. You know, he's come in and really stamped his authority on this side, and he's sort of like the first pick now from the seamers. Okay, Joff Archer.

He should be. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Joff Archer has gone off with a side strain and everything, but he's really stood up for his skipper and said, right, listen, you know, man down as well today. I think they'll be disappointed as a unit of how they've bowled, but today was how you do it. You pitch the ball up.

Don't keep saying, and there's Travis Head cut another one. And so they hung in there with the ball and then just, you know, had a little bit of luck with the bat and got themselves over the line. It is tough to play a win down in Australia and they've managed to do it. Josh Trung taking 7 for 89 his match figures. Briden cast today as well because he's gone around the park a bit, hasn't he's been English leading wicket-taker. He came up with four for 34 today.

well finally look to pitch the ball up you know there's no point of running in banging it halfway down when the pitch is doing something for you Glenn said I think this morning just listen just get it in an area and let this pitch do it for you a little bit and he sort of got it and did that is that kind of ball all fast bowlers are different you know some some of them are going to be different trajectories and you know different swing and seam and angles and what have you but you've still got to have that fingertip control as a a class international scene bowl any bowler to when asked to put it in areas to get wickets you've got to be able to do it and we also saw bryden cast come in at number three today that was interesting i missed that out in my roundup so he lost that wicket at 51 i thought well a big moment here for jacob bethel to walk into a pressure situation and bryden cast came out at number three no i didn't mind it you know to come in for someone to hopefully score some quick runs for him put the pressure back on you know if he went out and got a cameo sort of 20 quick runs it just makes that target so much smaller so I didn't mind it didn't really come off but yeah yeah it was good yeah

I think also that might have just been a little sort of help for Bethel you know right listen we are just going for this one way well we've even asked everyone else to drop down one and someone just to go in and sort of pinch it really so even if it didn't come off there was that sort of feeling then in Bethel that he hasn't got to go out there and just sort of just try and sort of knock it around like Glenn Jonathan in just a minute I sense you haven't seen much

of Jacob Bethel what did he make of him on what you saw this afternoon yeah no I think I'm pretty much the same as everyone in his commentary box we haven't seen my I haven't seen anything of him you guys haven't seen a lot of him either but no he looked quite composed it was a precious

situation I thought he played it well and just worked it around actually let's go to Jonathan now yeah just down here well actually in the shadows but almost the sunshine Joe Root well he'd not experienced this before how does it feel? It's been a lot thrown at this group over the last couple of weeks and I think

the character in response from everyone's been great and the togetherness of the team and you know I guess we obviously put on a challenging service I'm speaking obviously as a battle here a challenging service but the way that we found a way to win here

is down to the way that we played over a period of time right this is being brave enough to take take the game on when things aren't in your favor and I think that's the art of batting sometimes is understanding what the situation requires and today I think we found the balance of it really well we saw in the first thing is if you allow ball to bowl that same length that same ball is doing so much that there was going to be one with your name on it so the proactive nature in which the guys went out with especially at the top of the order Jacob coming in and playing like that as well I think just shows great skill great nows and and great bravery and courage. Like I say, there's been a lot of questions asked about our method and how we go about things, so I think we stayed true to it and delivered really well today. Yeah, I mean, that set up, that situation was really made for your method actually. It was a smallish run chase sees the initiative as kind of what the blueprint has been.

Well, no, I think that in those circumstances that was the case, but not everyone does it the same way, right? And I think it's understanding how you want to go back and score your runs and no one goes out there to play a bad shot or to get out. You're always trying to look at moving the game forward and scoring runs. It's not about survival, it's about scoring runs. And my myth is different to a lot, well, pretty much everyone else in that team, but it's understanding and playing with conviction with the surfaces that are presented.

And, you know, like I say, we obviously got the right side of it. But to chase 170 on there was because of a brilliant effort with the ball as well. And those guys deserve a lot of credit. Obviously, Gus going off. And guys having to pick those overs up. some guys balling long spells there and they kept working hard and they got the rewards for it

and it's nice for us to hang on to a few as well I'm not to expect you to have a go about the pitch but I mean in terms of test match strips that you've played on how would that rank well I think rather than having a go at it I think the argument is was it too one-sided

in terms of bat-v ball I guess there are people that are more qualified to judge that It certainly was challenging. From my point of view, out there, you've got world-class attack. And the ball's moving a considerable amount. So at the end of the day, your job is to try and get on the right side of the result and make sure that you're either outskill or you're outsmart the opposition.

And I think when we had our opportunities this game, we really did take them. Catching too. Yeah, it's a trip and slip catching. Definitely. But it had been easy 40 runs behind on that service to think. that you were a long way out of things but we knew that if we got things right we stuck to what we knew was the lengths that were going to work for us we were going to get our rewards and things could happen very quickly and at no point did

the attacks I guess their intent waiver they kept pushing forward for us and creating opportunities and then like I say the the way that the guys played showed great courage great bravery and great skill yeah just a lot on is it frustrating to win a game as tight as that having come from three nil down I mean do you know is it tempting or do inevitably look back to think oh what might have been I think you always disappointed when you lose a test match but you know you look at the opportunity Perth we presented a similar kind of situation with a very one-sided sort of wicket there and we tried to do what we did

today and it didn't quite work out and you can you can find yourself if you're not careful questioning whether that's the right way to do things when you win you You know, if we're winning this fashion there, it's completely different. So that's the game sometimes. You've got to play with conviction. You've got to trust in your method. And, you know, I've been here 17, 18 times, whatever it is, and found myself on the wrong side.

The result is a lot of them. So I certainly enjoy tonight. And I'm really proud to be a part of a group of players that have produced a performance like that on that surface. Thanks, Torges, Joe. Enjoy the night. It might be lively looking at those behind you, I think. Yeah, well.

might lead them to it but yeah love to see you joe thank you well done congratulations there we are who do we have coming now we've got josh tunn coming i think here in a second his headphones are really loud uh josh well done congratulations got a very nice medallion there uh well bold well bold yeah thank you very much felt really good um obviously a pitch that's helps us bowlers um but we still had to put the ball in the right areas for long periods of time sure we're hitting the pitch hard and obviously that full of length as well is where we got our success. Yeah, last thing I'm like bats will be grumbling about it, but actually there is pressure on the bowler in that situation, isn't there? I mean, every run counts, every bad ball that goes for four hurts. So when you've got to be right on it.

Well, obviously, we're in the toss on day one. There's obviously a bit of pressure on the bowlers when there's a bit of green on the wicket. But look, full credit to all of our bowlers, I thought we stuck in really well. Even today, obviously, Gus went down, unfortunately, but I thought Stokesy and Carson had well as well as well. Yeah, interesting tactic, Bride and Cars slipping out there at number three. I mean, you were padding up as well, were you? No, I wasn't, no. Not a chance. No, yeah, yeah. I mean, it's the first time you've savoured this. It's pretty special, isn't it, to come here, 12,000 miles from home and have a reception like that?

Yeah, look, the whole series had been amazing. Obviously, played my first game last week in Adelaide. The support out there was incredible, and obviously then coming to the MCG full of 95,000 people in Boxing Day. yeah they've just been so good and it's so good to play in front of them yeah is there something that you always dreamt of one day coming out and playing against Australia yeah 100% look my dream was always to play for England whatever we're against but this is on the top of my list playing in ashes away from home and then with the support with the balmy army as well it's yeah I can't really

describe what I'm feeling really go and enjoy it thank you Josh thanks to talking to us there we go man in the match Josh tongue for his well particularly his excellent efforts the first innings we're just waiting Simon Ben Stokes is having a chat with Isha Gu at the moment so I suspect he'll come to us shortly but there you go

you from Joe Root and Josh Tongue I was looking around at the moment but back to you for a moment okay Jonathan we'll be down there as soon as Ben Stokes is with you pretty noisy down there

at the presentation ceremony I can see the mass ranks of supporters just behind it and of course they're still singing the Barmyam is still singing on the far side of the ground almost as they've been locked in the ground and there might be a few lock-ins tonight in Melbourne later on so Joe Root speaking there

and also Josh Chang I mean he did bowl well and you made the point of us where was he in the first two test matches of the series? Yeah a little bit I mean he finished the summer well didn't he against India as well and got wickets I think he was in sort of England's best bowl last summer so you were sort of scratching your head

I mean he was almost sort of seen as the replacement for an archer wasn't he for that sort of pace and bounce or a cast to sort of rotate but I think now he's got himself right up the pecking order I think he's first on the team sheet now for England in the scene bowling department

he did mention that the pitch was helpful what did you feel about it overall Glenn yeah the pitch was definitely helpful there's no doubt about that too helpful probably a little bit 10 mils of grass probably too much. Seven millimeters

of grass last year and the test match was perfect. But listening to Josh Tongue, you know, we were very right in what he said. You win the toss. You put the opposition in. You're expected to bowl them out or to take wickets. And you still have to get the ball in the right area and not go too hard

and go searching for wickets. So, you know, credit to the England bowlers the way they bowled in that first inning. He's knock Australia over that first day. And probably more credit to them today. I thought they bowled better today. areas under pressure and yeah and they got the rewards so it looks like josh tongue might have been play the play the match which i think he deserved yeah no

absolutely i've been sitting there listening at jim maxwell we said uh man of the series in four years time josh tongue there you go jim's seen a bit of cricket well it's a big call isn't it um well let's let's focus on this series first time there's another rashy series in england to come as well. That's not too far away. And also, before that, there's another match here, a day-night game to celebrate 150 years of test cricket between England and Australia. It's a day-night match in March in about

15 months' time. But just kind of put this result in some sort of context if you can toughers. I'm feeling even sort of slightly more frustrated of what might have been. It'll be interesting to see what Ben Stokes has to see, but this is what we were

expecting. This is what I was expecting, really. really. I was expecting really, you know, both games going down to the wire, not necessarily going five days. We all said it. We all said it. It's just that when we got here for those first three, they sort of slipped through our fingers. We knew that

this was sort of possible and round the corner. So, you know, another two-day test match doesn't look great. Doesn't look great. People's going to lose money. Cricket Australia is going to lose money and all that kind of stuff. But I put this down to the England's

side, even having been through a lot of scrutiny in those first three test matches, just putting it out for their skipper. Let's go back to Jonathan. Yeah, Ben Stokes is here and he's got a smile on his face. That's something.

Yeah, look, the game will stay up there for us to chase down a total. And sometimes when you've got a target, it just makes things a lot easier. And look, the way that that wicket played throughout was pretty clear and obvious how we had to try and take that game on. You know, I think not the best advertisement for test match wickets, but, you know, you have to face the conditions that's in front of here. And I think the way in which we bowled

this week was exceptional, the way in which we went about that runchase was exceptional as well. And especially on the back of everything that we had to deal with building up to this game. I couldn't be proud as the captain of the way in which we held firm as a group and as individuals as well. You know, it's, yeah, it's a very, very, obviously, proud moment, knowing that how tough this tour has been, how everything has gone before this tour as well for other teams who have come here. So to get that win, you know, over a long period of time that we've been waiting for is, you know, pretty pleasing. You must be really pleased with the response to the team, actually, because that was a pretty rotten build-up to this.

That was, sorry? A rotten build-up you had up to this match. You were very pleased. I mean, definitely. And, you know, you get tested as, you know, leaders within, you know, sport and teams and organizations all the time in different ways. And, you know, that was a test of character, test of, you know, qualities of leadership. And I think the way that we went about it, you know, not only in the public in terms of all the media and all that kind of stuff, but also behind the scenes. It was so, so important that we were able to make sure that everyone's focus was still on the cricket. You know, it would have been so easy to put all our focus and attention on the cricket.

to all that kind of stuff outside of the dressing room and then we lose our focus on what we need to do out there on the field because at the end of the day the most important thing for us is what we need to do out there and yeah look we stay so focused and committed to making sure that we put everything in possible to get a win this week and yeah I'm very very proud of the group and I'm very very proud of certain individuals

who fronted up this week back to the pitch were you expecting that I mean I know you won the toss and put him in but were you expecting it to be quite so tricky I would definitely I think even Steve knew that I was definitely going to do you know a bit but yeah that was yeah not the best was it

it's quite interesting to watch a bit pressure on the bat some of the pressure on the bowlers too though isn't it I mean you bowl a bad ball and goes before it hurts on a pitch like that and a low scoring game like that yeah I guess you can but you know 36 wickets in less than two days

and nothing over 200 you know I think you can read into that a lot and just say if that was in other condition somewhere else and that had happened you'd probably begin to pasting But again, you know, that's what we were faced with. That's what we had to try and play our cricket on. And, you know, when the pressure was on us in the moment mattered, we were able to stand up and deliver, you know, something good.

And in that pressure moment, which, to be honest, we've sort of not been able to do so far in the series. So, yeah, very, very good. We're obviously, you know, very ecstatic about the result that we managed to get here. We know we've still got one more game to go. And the focus, you know, hasn't moved away from that even before this game. started we had two games and we want to get two results in our way seen a few random things and unexpected moments i think bride and cast walking out at number three would rank quite high what

was going on there yeah well look at the way that all the top order batters were just struggling to find a way to be able to score runs and the ones who did score runs were either down the order who sort of you know flashed it a few slightly wider ones and and even you know like the way that brooky took it on in the first innings looked to be very very proactive and try and knock bowlers off their lengths and put them under pressure so you know we thought it was you know something that we were willing to risk you know if he did come off and get a quick 30 or 40 that's a that's huge and little run chases like this it didn't work out that way but there was you know method to the mayhem so I wouldn't say it was funny

I would enjoy it no yeah well it was a tactical plan that unfortunately just didn't pay off for us but you know the way that that cricket played out. We thought, why not just send someone up he's got a good eye, got a good chance of potentially slogging a quick 30-year-40 on a pretty tricky wicket. Last one, I mean, you see the turnaround in the sunshine there, all these England supporters who have come out, that must be a very special feeling, isn't it, to reward them now? Definitely. They've been with us, not only on this tour, they're with us everywhere we go, whether we're in England, abroad and other countries, but obviously in particular in the ashes it means so much to us. We know how much it means to the

fans who follow us around so I guess the great thing about it is the noise and the chance and the atmosphere that they bring is completely the same even from the first the games before this so that says a lot about the fans that we have they are with us through thick and thin and yeah hopefully tonight they will do stuff that's going to give them a slightly bad head in the morning I'm sure they will look after yourself then have a nice night thanks for talking to us good to see you smiling there we go That's nice, a much more relaxed. Ben Stokes talking there with all the English supporters.

All around, not just the Barmy armies, and all round us here too, waving and applauding, and just being generally happy. And a tour that's had a lot of ups and downs, difficulties. I thought he was very strong there on the response that he's had from his team and the build-up to this game, particular, all the Nusa business and everything else. Clearly there's been a lot going on behind the scenes there to try and keep the players focused and get them to stand up and to play with that stuff in the background during this match. I mean, there's a lot of stuff that's not going to go away.

And a lot of things, obviously, about this tour will still be talked about when it's done and dusted. But for now, at least, that's one very happy dressing room who have risen to a pretty difficult challenge here of playing on this pitch, and they've won, and it's now 3-1 with 1 to play. John, it's quiet and down a little bit around you now, so we can reflect a bit more on the game. I was tough as to put the game in context. Australia won the ashes. They were 3-0-0. England would come here and they've won the game.

I mean, how significant is this victory for England? Well, I think it's significant for the players, definitely. I mean, just being down here, you know, they're all out doing interviews, and do you know what it's like? You know, when England lose a match, the poor old captain gets flushed out, maybe the coach, and that's it. You don't see anybody else, but I can see Jacob Bethel there. We heard from Joe Root.

There's others around, too. who are giving interviews and just enjoy actually enjoying the atmosphere. I mean, it's pretty lively down here. You know, up there in our commentary box, often behind glass, you don't really get to feel what it's like. But just the, I mean, I remember being out here when we won the ashes here in 10-11, the barmeys and the sprinkler and all that stuff, actually it'd rather came flooding back as I walked back out onto the grass here

because, of course, it hasn't happened since. So, you know, this big coliseum like this, you get the sound, you get the atmosphere and so on. Look, as far as the tour as a whole is concerned, we will never be able to get away from the fact that we were told at Adelaide that they hadn't prepared enough. And that was the admission from the management reflecting on losing the ashes 3-0.

That is still the case. This game was very much set up, I think, for the England style of particularly batting, chasing a small target, going at it, hell for leather, knocking the bowlers who've got very little, to very little wriggle room and the captain too having to set fields

bearing in mind that you've got players coming out there and playing shots so I mean this has kind of made for this team's blueprint to go out and win a game

like this, a low scoring game attack the fourth innings target as they have done so they still had to do it and they've had to do it from a pretty low confidence base

and with all the stuff that's been going on in the press of the last couple of weeks and Nusa and everything else losing the ashes all those things they've had to come from from that sort of level so I mean Ben Stokes there

I haven't seen him smile like that for weeks you know yes he's lost the ashes but they're not going to go home having lost 5-0 and been whitewashed again they've finally they've finally broken the duck they've won a game and I'm sure they'll be pretty confident about winning at Sydney now as well

and if they did do that and it was 3-2 does that make a significant difference to the management and their futures So that's the big question, isn't it? I mean, I think when you've got the coach saying we didn't prepare enough and we haven't done things right

and you've lost a series 3-0 and that still stands, you know, but if they can come back and win a couple of games, you know, Jacob Bethel can show it was a difficult game for him here coming at number three. I mean, he didn't bat like a test match number three today because the situation wasn't for him to do that. So we didn't learn a lot about him.

We've got a good 40. You can see he's got a bit of character going out there. It'd be nice to see him bat number three at Sydney in a more normal situation on a flatter pitch in which he can just go out and show us what he's made of. Josh Tung, again, has reminded us of the talent that he has. So do that Atkinson, before he went entwanged his hamstring. I mean, there are, you know, we know that there are good players in this side, and that's the frustrating part of it all.

And I think at the very start we said, look, what we don't want, is for England's players to go back and leave Sydney and look in the mirror and no, they haven't given it their best shot. And there's still that lingering feeling that actually a very talented set of cricketers up against, it's been Australia's second 11 all the way through. England haven't played against their strongest team yet. You know, have they given it their absolutely best shot?

And judging by what Brendan McCullum said at Adelaide, he'd probably say, well, they haven't done because they didn't prepare properly and those words are still going to echo at the end of this tour regardless of what happens it might mean that there's more leeway given perhaps

when this series is reviewed and there always are reviews into these things of course and maybe a bit more given take perhaps because you see a situation like this in which that method actually was the difference between the two teams

probably but the other overall message still has to be that you don't come to Australia and expect to win the ashes with the sort of preparation that they had this time. Jonathan, we're sitting here looking at a scorecard which says that England's leading scorer, individual scorer in the match, was Harry Brooke with 41 and they still won the game. What about this surface and what about the spectators who had tickets for tomorrow?

It's a great day for England. They've won the test race. That's all you can do, isn't it? Turn up and win the game. What about the pitch and the spectators that are tickets for tomorrow and those for later in the game? What about that?

Does this surface good enough for test cricket? Yeah, I think Stokes is very strong on the pitch, wasn't he? Baring a mind, you know, the rules and regulations and everything else that captains really can't go criticising umpires, they can't go criticising pitches. You know, they've got to play

with a pretty straight bat but I think he made it absolutely clear to me I mean he threw it back at it didn't me about what do we think watching it clearly there's a lot of dissatisfaction there about the standard of the pitch and you don't want test matches ending in

in two days and I don't know why the groundswin here decided that he's going to leave so much grass on it it's clearly it's a mistake and cricket Australia are going to pay a heavy price for this game having ended so soon and no one wants that you know you don't want two-day test matches you

want test matches to go on into the fifth day if possible a lots of edmund flowing and pitches slowly deteriorating the usual stuff that you get in a test match which there wasn't here I mean this is just as zipping around from from the word go whether there was and we talked about this yesterday that feeling of the ashes being over and therefore perhaps bats were not quite scrapping as they would if everything was still on the line then I include Australia in that, by the way as well. In fact, I think they had a pretty poor game here, the Australian batsman, some pretty casual dismissals going through it, whether they've just taken their eye off the ball a bit after winning the ashes in Adelaide and England still had, well, there are two things. England, I think, and I mentioned this to Stokes before the match, actually the stuff that happens off the field and when you're in the crosshairs and you're getting a sort of stick that they were getting in the media, that could be a galvanising thing. You know, you can actually pull a team to. together, you can get one of two ways. You either adopt a sort of a bunker

siege mentality in which the world's against you and the wheels come spinning off and you lose, or you do get together, you know, the world's against us. Let's get out there and show them. And I'll talk to him about that before the game. And he said that might very well be an impact and I think that is what's happened here.

I think that has spurred them on to stand up and show that actually they have got some character which is all, I think, as a captain you want to see from your players. So it's a difficult one isn't it I mean 3-2

when you come back having lost 3-0 of course it sounds better and you know you've won a couple of games but the focus in my mind still has to be on the start of the tour and what went wrong there

we've got a week now another week before the next test match and the final game and see no Atkinson I would think for Sydney with that hamstring injuring hamstring injuries tell you when they're ready rather than the other way around so you

almost certainly he'll be out for that game they've lost Atkinson they've lost Archer they've lost Wood what do they do next well let's have a thought I suppose Matthew Potts gets a run out he's been here from the start you know he probably needs to have a game doesn't he I mean there's not

much left so I imagine he'll go to the game I've seen him running lots of laps and I've seen bowling a lot in the nets but I mean he hasn't had a game of cricket as he wonder when he last played a match did he play in Canberra? I can't even remember now yes he did he did so there he goes he's had a run out there but otherwise he's hardly done anything so it's I'm going to say give him a game

but in terms of how England play it they show the same character that they have here I mean their players all went over they all you know savoured the end there with the spectators the armies and all that making a tremendous noise it is special it is special to come to Australia and win it is you can't have outnumbered and you've you know you've got to stand up and do it so there's no doubt

that was that was a really special moment for the players none of whom have experienced that before and so hopefully that'll that'll make them even more determined when they get to Sydney to do it again Jonathan thank you England have won this game by four wickets Glenn's here and tougher is here Glenn it it can't be 5-0

no no it can't you know you've got to be put your predictions out there at the start and if things don't go well you've got to be adaptable and flexible don't you so I've had to rethink things slightly so I've decided to go for 4-1

4-1 I thought you might do one thing I think there will be is a flat pitch in Sydney I think it's going to be an absolute belt on and it can get a little bit rainy and overcast round there everything, but they won't want another two-day test match. Well, the pitch last year against India was, they left far too much grass on it. It was a two-and-a-half-day test match, and, you know, it is the pink test for my foundation.

I want it to go at least four. What day is that? What day is the main day, the Jane McGrath day, but predominantly it's the whole test match. But, yeah, you don't want it to be over in two days in that respect. I'll make sure it's a good deck for Sydney. Yeah, I mean, we're traditionally in Sydney, and in the old days, the ball spun, didn't it? You play two spinners. So is there any chance do you think of that?

Well, there might be nice if there's a little bit of turn. There's been a little bit of seam previous years. I think the team that I was lucky enough to play and we won too many test matches too quickly and they started to try to make flatter pitches and I think that probably destroyed the spin in Sydney. But yeah, it was renowned for its spin. Hopefully it'll be a good cricket wicket which we've seen in the past

and the weather will be fine. So, yeah, hoping to go there for another. at least a four if not five-day test match. So with no Atkinson and England beginning to run out of pace bowlers and if it does spin, does that mean Sher Bashir comes into it or not? I don't know. I'm not sure really.

I mean, what we've seen all Australian summer down under is good professional bowling from Australia. Seeing bowlers that look to hit the top of off stump now. There you go. Tungs come in and perform well. Potts as well. He's sitting there. He's that type of bowler.

Fisher is here. So I don't think you can just throw the spinner in unless it looks like it's going to turn. And, you know, the wise men, place the hands on the hallow 22 yards and decide whether it's going to turn or not. But I think England will probably stick with

hitting them with pace. Good to see Jacob Beth will get some runs. That's another positive, you know. We're all a little bit worried for him making his debut as well. And the other thing I was very strong on there. When I listened to Ben Stokes was that the management, how strong

the management has had to be and the back room staff there have been a bit of criticism. You could hear John sort of saying, oh, you know, preparation and everything like that. He was very strong on his mate, Brendan McCullum there and the people also

sort of like involved in that group and in the back room sort of people for that England side that saying that, you know, this is just as much down to them because they were in a pretty tricky spot after Nusa and 3-0 down after all that criticism so I could really feel that coming through in his voice and his smile which is good so yeah it was an interesting interview let's talk about Australia we haven't really focused on that much John

heads will roll heads good heads are got a roll first loss in 19 test matches at home like oh what's gone wrong was their batting a bit careless in this game Glenn Yeah, you look at a few of those dismissals, your first innings as well. You could probably say so, a little bit loose. You know, Cameron Green's come under a bit of pressure with a couple of shots. You know, the shot he played today and being run out in the first innings. You know, Jake Wetherall just left one there, got strangled down the leg side. So, you know, on these pitches, it does funny things to batsman's minds and they start, you know, the shot selection.

You know, you start questioning it as well. So, yeah, it's just one of those things you've got. They'll sit back here. I don't think Australia will panic too much. You know, the pitch, you know, you've got to take into consideration. I can't say they're making too many changes come Sydney. You know, Pat Cummins, was he fit enough to play? I think maybe he was, and they're just taking the easy option.

Will he come back? Who knows? So, yeah, there's a little bit for Australia to think of, but they've got a few extra days to do it. But, yeah, it would be interesting to see what squad they pick for Sydney. I mean, you played in teams. from memory, I'm just trying to think specifically where you said earlier

actually in the game that you would win the series, then you might drop a game. Is there a slight lessening of intensity sometimes when you've won the series? You hope not, but sometimes there can be. It's funny watching the players go about it. They get

bold and they sort of have a bit of a laugh and you think, does it mean that much to you? And I think it still does. The players know each other from both teams better now than they ever have as well so there's that difference but yeah you know it's you hope

not but just a feel in the commentary box out the back you know with the England and the Australian commenter I don't think anyone's disappointed in England winning this one which is a little bit unique I you know I hope it's different out in the ground every game is incredibly

important all the time and that's why it should be played so you hope not okay time for some more reaction now Jacob Bethel scored an important and mature 40 today came in in a pressure moment he's been speaking to Isha Goua Jacob Bethel at the age of 22 your first taste of Ashes cricket and you get the win you must be thinking no problem yeah it's not as simple as that but yeah it was lovely to come in

and make an impact and more importantly an impact to a win how hard is it to face Mitchell Stark coming at you at 145 kilometres an hour here at the MCG. Yeah, I've faced him once in Whiteball Creek before, so I had a little eye, but it definitely feels a lot quicker when it's nipping around, but yeah, great experience.

Thrown in the deep end there at number three when the ball was nipping around so much. What did you talk about with your teammates on the back of that first innings, and how did you kind of apply yourself when it came to the secondings because you picked up 40 in good time? Yeah, I think going out first innings,

it was kind of identifying that I was doing a lot, and I probably didn't have enough conviction to go out there straight away and kind of try and put them off their length but the second innings, especially when you're chasing one of those niggly totals it was pretty clear that you had to go out there and try and get them off it as quickly

as possible. And whose idea was the ramp immediately after tea? I'd like to think mine, but yeah, the keeper was up and the third man was pretty wide so I figured it would be the best way to get him back as soon as possible. Well, it was great

to watch and you gave you side a great chance that when it came to the runchaser have you ever experienced an atmosphere like this before no definitely not i think what was it 93 000 yesterday 92 000 today it's been being pretty special got my parents in the in the crowd as well so to time that well them coming over for this game and yeah it's it's been pretty incredible and like i said before it's nice to to have it as a win and just lastly we just spoke to to joe root you had a picture taken with him in barbadoes at the age of 15 you then get to to bat with with him seven years later on the MCG surface. Must have been an incredible moment for yourself.

Yeah, it's pretty special. Still feels surreal. I've batted with him a couple times now in Test cricket. Yeah, our dad's played together, and it is pretty special to actually live us playing together Test cricket as well. So, yeah, we've not been able to finish a job today together, but it was unbelievable to experience it out there with him.

We've had a taste of it now, so all the best in the next match and for the rest of your career. Thank you very much. Jacob Bethel, who made 40 today in England's four-wicket victory, reaching their victory target of 175 in 33 overs. And he was the leading scorer for England today. More reaction now, this time from the Australia camp.

What is Steve Smith their captain make of it? He's been speaking to Isha as well. A tough one for you to lose, but you hung in there. What are your reflections on this match? Yeah, tricky one, obviously a very quick game. Yeah, I think, you know, if we got 50 or 60 more across both innings, then, yeah, we might have been there at the end. But, yeah, credit to England.

They came out today and bought really well this morning. Didn't let us get away. And then the way they started with the bat, they were very aggressive, got a few away, probably softened our ball a little bit, and probably didn't offer as much from that point. So credit to them the way they played. Did the pitch change at all? Not really

I think it did a fair amount for the whole game just probably when the ball got softened from a few lusty blows from their top order today where it started to go a little bit less potentially but yeah without that I think it was still going to offer plenty

and what is your genuine opinion of the pitch because it was so heavily in favour of the bowlers? Yeah I think a little bit too much yeah it was tricky no one could really get in I think when you see 36 wickets across two days that's probably too much

So probably did a little bit more than, yeah, they'd probably want it to. Maybe if we drop it down to 8 mils, it'd be about right, potentially. All right, Steve, thanks for your time and all the best in the next test in Sydney. Thank you, cheers. Australia's captain Steve Smith giving his opinion on the surface and a pretty uniform opinion, I think, from pundits, players during this test match about the state of the pitch. And so let's go to the stats and what they tell us. You can see the bold facts there, the 36 wickets in a short space of time within the two days

and another game finishing within two days. Zoltz, what are you starting with in your statistical roundup? Well, let's start with England breaking that sequence of 18 without a win in Australia. It means they do not hold that record on their own. New Zealand also had an 18-match winless run in this country that they broke with a win in Hobart in the 2011-2012 season, although they had more draw. than England did, 16 defeats, two draws before this game. England's previous

longest winless run in Australia was 12 matches, the last three of the 1936-37 series, all five in the first series after the Second World War and the first four in the 1950-1 series. What about short games? Short games. So two-day tests, there had not been one in

the ashes since 1921. Now we've had two in four matches. There had never been two in a series since the 1890s when England played a very, very weak South African team and none had never been two

two day games in an Ashes series since 1888 when all three games were completed in two days but cricket and pitches were very very different then 142 overs in this game

five balls longer than Perth the second and third shortest tests ever played in Australia 9th and 10th shortest ever played anywhere in the world in terms of completed tests so ignoring games that were shortened by rain or other other factors

847 and 852 balls there hadn't previously in the ashes since the 19th century been a game below 1,000 balls or 170 over so that puts in context quite how absurdly short these games

have been what about 50s as well no 50s in this match how rare is that that is very rare in in all tests it was the 16th ever just the fifth since 1935 the second in the ashes since 1896

the other was a game Edge Bastion in 1981 the fourth test of that series England hadn't been involved in a test with no 50 since then Australia hadn't until earlier this year when they had a similar game in the West Indies England won without anyone scoring a 50 for just the third time in the last 60 years

and just the second time against Australia since the 19th century Australia failed to score a 50 in an ashes test for the first time since they were spun to defeat by Phil Tufnell at the Oval in 1997 and it's only the third time in a home ashes test they failed to post a 50 since Don Bradman's debut in 1928. So just a couple more things about the high-paced nature of this series England have lost a wicket every 37 balls in this series. That's their second worst such figure.

Obviously, it might change after Sydney, but it's currently their second worst in any test series behind the 1888 ashes that I mentioned a while ago. Australia have lost a wicket every 43 balls, which is their worst against England since 1905, and their 11th worst of all time. That's including two and three match series as well. Overall, a wicket every 40 balls in this series, currently the lowest figure in any test series of four or more tests. And third on that list is Australia against India here last Australian summer. So two of the three series in which wickets have fallen fastest out of series of four or more matches have been in Australia in their last two seasons. So in terms of the nature of pitches in Australia, completely different to what we've seen for most of Australian cricket history and something that Australian cricket clearly needs to address. Australia will bowled out in under 80 overs in this match.

short of 80 overs for the first time since that Brisbane test of 1928 and there were 21 single figure scores which is the joint second most in an ashes test in Australia just a couple of other small things no overs of spin for only the second time in an ashes test after the 1981 Trent Bridge test and Josh Tung player of the match 43 wickets now in his first eight tests which is the joint seventh most wickets in the first eight tests of an England bowler's career

and the third most in the last hundred years of test cricket since when only Frank Tyson 1950s, Pace Demon and Ken Higgs. Huggers' cricketing hero in the 1960s have taken more than tongue in his first eight tests. Thanks very much, Andy. You can watch clips on the BBC Sport website an app with full highlights on BBC iPlayer

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