Overview
- England chased 175 to win by four wickets at 178-6, after Australia were dismissed for 152 and 132 in a match that saw 20 wickets on day one and 36 overall.
- Seamer Josh Tongue led the attack with seven wickets, including a first-innings five-for, while Jacob Bethell’s 40, Zak Crawley’s 37 and an unbeaten Harry Brook finish steered the chase.
- Ben Stokes called the conditions “not ideal” for a Boxing Day Test and Steve Smith said the pitch offered too much movement, with both pointing to excessive grass on the surface.
- CA chief executive Todd Greenberg said short Tests are “bad for business” and flagged closer oversight of pitch preparation, as a record 94,199 on day one and 92,045 on day two could not offset lost day-three gate receipts.
- Australia have already retained the Ashes, while England’s win came with a cost as pacer Gus Atkinson left with a hamstring issue that could affect selection for Sydney.