England Triumphs in Two-Day Melbourne Thriller, Ends 15-Year Drought Against Australia

England secured a historic victory over Australia in Melbourne on Saturday, winning by four wickets and ending a 15-year drought of Test wins on Australian soil. The Boxing Day Test concluded in just two days as Ben Stokes led his team to successfully chase down a target of 175, breaking an 18-match winless streak in Australia that traced back to December 2013. England’s previous triumph in Australia occurred in Sydney in January 2011, when Andrew Strauss’s team won by an innings and 83 runs. Since then, England had suffered 16 losses and managed only two draws in the country.

After a dramatic first day where 20 wickets fell, Australia held a 46-run lead. England was restricted to 110 in response to Australia’s initial score of 152. Nightwatchman Scott Boland, who opened alongside Travis Head, survived briefly on day two before being caught behind off Gus Atkinson’s bowling. Despite Atkinson’s early departure from the attack due to a hamstring issue, England’s bowlers quickly dismantled Australia’s lineup again.

Notable Australian performances came from Travis Head (46), captain Steve Smith (24 not out), and Cameron Green (19), but the team collapsed for 132. Brydon Carse claimed four wickets, with Josh Tongue and Stokes contributing with two and three wickets, respectively. Carse took crucial wickets, including Head and Alex Carey for four, while Tongue dismissed Marnus Labuschagne for eight and Usman Khawaja for a duck.

On the chase, England’s openers Zak Crawley (37) and Ben Duckett (34) provided a strong start with a 51-run stand before Duckett fell to a Mitchell Starc yorker. Carse was sent in as a pinch-hitter but was removed quickly, caught by Green off Jhye Richardson’s return to Test cricket after four years. Jacob Bethell, in his fifth Test, scored 40, partnering with Crawley to reach 77 for 2 at Tea.

Despite Boland capturing Crawley and Richardson dismissing Joe Root (15), leaving England with 38 runs to win, Harry Brook (18 not out) and Jamie Smith (three not out) guided England to victory. Although Australia retained the Ashes urn after winning the previous three Tests, this win marked a significant moment for England. The series concludes with the final Test in Sydney, beginning January 4.