Joe Root, Ben Stokes win first-ever Ashes Test in Australia as England avoid 5-0 at MCG

Joe Root and Ben Stokes finally won a Test in Australia after 18 and 13 matches, respectively.

For nearly fifteen years, Australia had been England’s graveyard. Legendary England players in Joe Root and Ben Stokes didn’t know what it is like to win in Australia. But that ends today. On Thursday evening at the MCG, that curse finally cracked. In a Test that barely lasted two full days, England chased down 175 and sealed their first victory on Australian soil since 2010, avoiding the humiliation of a clean sweep in the process.

Controversial Melbourne pitch

The surface will rightly come under scrutiny. Twenty-six wickets fell across the first five sessions, and neither side ever truly looked comfortable. But England were the braver, sharper side when it mattered. After being bowled out for 110, they clawed their way back through discipline and relentless pressure, eventually winning by four wickets and sending the travelling supporters into rare celebration.Itwas

It was also a strangely historic match. No batter from either team crossed fifty, making this the first Test in Australia since 1932 without an individual half-century. It was messy, chaotic, and at times absurd. England will not care.

Tongue leads the charge, Bethell and openers finish the job

Ben Stokes’ decision to bowl first set the tone. Josh Tongue produced the spell of the match, ripping through Australia with a five-wicket haul, the first by an English bowler at the MCG in 27 years. His delivery to Steve Smith, angling in and crashing into off stump, was pure theatre. Australia were bundled out for 152.

England’s reply was even worse. Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser ran riot, reducing the visitors to 110 and securing a 42-run lead for Australia on a pitch that was already deteriorating. The match looked to be slipping again.

Instead, England’s bowlers doubled down. Brydon Carse claimed four in the second innings, Ben Stokes chipped in with three, and Tongue returned to remove the tail. Australia collapsed for 132, leaving England 175 to win.

The chase was tense, but England’s intent was unmistakable. Duckett and Crawley attacked early. Jacob Bethell, recalled for this match, showed maturity beyond his years with a controlled 40, stitching together vital stands before falling with the line in sight. When Root and Stokes departed in quick succession, nerves returned, but Harry Brook and Jamie Smith held their nerve.