England, Australia dismissed on opening day as 20 wickets fall in Boxing Day Test, first time in 116 years

The opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground was nothing short of extraordinary, with 20 wickets falling, 266 runs scored, and 76.2 overs bowled in front of more than 94,000 spectators. The red ball swung and seamed throughout the day, exposing technical flaws among the batters, particularly from England, who struggled to defend and stabilize their innings. This marked the first time since 1909 that 20 or more wickets fell on the first day of an Ashes Test.

Despite the challenging conditions, Usman Khawaja and Alex Carey showed resilience at the crease. Each faced more than 40 balls, emerging as the only batters from both sides to do so, while the pace attack relished the assistance offered by the MCG pitch.

Electing to bowl first, England’s Josh Tongue tore through the Australian top order, claiming three of the first four wickets before lunch. His teammates supported him brilliantly in the second session, while Tongue completed a five-wicket haul as Australia were bowled out for just 152 in their first innings.

Highest number of wickets taken on day 1 in Australia vs England Tests

Michael Neser was Australia’s highest scorer, compiling 35 runs with seven fours, while Usman Khawaja added a solid 29 runs to the total.

After Australia were bowled out for 152, few expected England to survive on the tricky surface. Sticking to their aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach backfired as they slumped to 16/4, with Mitchell Starc and Neser wreaking havoc. Harry Brook counterattacked with 41 off 34, briefly stabilising the innings with a 50-run stand with Ben Stokes, but his dismissal triggered a collapse, with five wickets falling for just 25 runs.

Gus Atkinson tried to stem the collapse with a late cameo of 28, adding 19 runs for the final wicket, but England were all out for 110, giving Australia a 42-run first-innings advantage. Debutant Neser shone with the ball, claiming 4/45 in his first red-ball Test.

Australia needed just one final over to wrap up the day, and Scott Boland was tasked with the responsibility. Batting alongside Travis Head, Boland handled a challenging over from Atkinson and ended the session with a boundary, putting Australia 46 runs ahead in their second innings.

With plenty of overs still in the match, a big innings from the likes of Head or Smith could seal England’s fate. However, with the red ball moving sharply, this Test still has the potential to finish in just two days.