Match Overview
Australia will take on England in the fourth Test of the ongoing Ashes starting on Friday, December 26. This Boxing Day Test will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Australia has played 117 Test matches at the MCG so far and has won 68. They last lost a game here in 2020 against India. England has faced Australia in 57 matches and has won 20 games here. England last won a game at the MCG during the 2010 Ashes. It has been England’s only win here since 2000.
Australia has already won the series, and England will look to save their neck in the rest of the series. The “Bazball” approach has not worked for the English team, and the think tank will have to make significant changes to its plan. England has already announced their playing 11 for this game. Australia has announced the squad for this match and has made some forced changes.
Series So Far: Quick Recap
The first match of the series at Perth ended within two days. Mitchell Starc was the standout performer for Australia, and England didn’t have any answer for him. He took seven wickets in the first innings and followed that with three wickets in the second innings. Australia won the match by eight wickets. Starc won the Player of the Match award, his first against England.
Also Read: On This Day in Cricket History – 24 December
In the second Test at Brisbane, England crossed the 300-run mark in the first innings, and Joe Root made his first century on Australian soil. Starc was again the best performer for Australia and closed the first innings with seven wickets. Australia replied in their first innings with 511 runs, with a total of five players scoring a half-century. Australia had to chase a mere 65 runs in the fourth innings and again won by eight wickets. Starc won the Player of the Match award in this game as well.
Australia batted first in the third Test and posted 371 runs in the first innings, with the help of Alex Carey’s knock of 106 runs. Jofra Archer picked up a five-wicket haul for England in the first innings. A partnership of 106 runs for the ninth wicket between Ben Stokes and Archer helped England reach 286 runs. Travis Head scored 170 runs in the second innings, and Carey’s 72 runs helped Australia reach 349 runs. Australia set a target of 435 runs for England to win this game. England finished with 352 runs on the board and lost the match by 82 runs.
Pitch & Conditions Report
The last seven Test matches at the MCG have produced a result, and the previous Test match, which ended in a draw, was played here in 2017. The 2017 Boxing Day game was played between England and Australia. The average first-innings score in the last 20 games here has been 340. The fourth-innings average has been a mere 138 runs. Hence, batting might be tough in the fourth innings, and the team winning the toss might look to bat.
Playing XI Updates & Injury News
Jofra Archer has been ruled out of the Ashes and has been replaced by Gus Atkinson. Archer made his comeback to the Test side in July this year against India after fighting several injury battles. England has decided to rest Ollie Pope for this game and has included Jacob Bethell for the upcoming match. Bethell might bat in the number three position.
England’s playing 11 for fourth Test:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue
For Australia, Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the remaining two games. Steve Smith will return to lead the side. Nathan Lyon, who sustained a hamstring injury while fielding in the third Test, has been ruled out of the series. Todd Murphy has been called up to replace Lyon in the squad.
Also Read: Pat Cummins ruled out of Ashes
Australia’s predicted playing 11 for the fourth Test:
Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith (c), Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Scott Boland, Mitchell Starc, Michael Neser, Todd Murphy
Match Prediction
England has not been in their best form so far in the series, and it will be difficult for the team to bounce back after three straight defeats. Australia has been in top form so far, and with Smith’s return, they might register their fourth win in the series. England will come into this game with a weak bowling lineup that doesn’t stand a chance against Australia’s strong batting lineup.
Broadcast & Live Streaming Details
India
TV Telecast: Star Sports Network will broadcast the 4th Ashes Test live on television in India.
Live Streaming: JioHotstar will stream all days of the match live online.
Australia
Free-to-Air TV: Channel Seven will broadcast the Test live.
Streaming: 7plus (free online streaming) plus subscription options on Foxtel and Kayo Sports.
United Kingdom
TV & Streaming: TNT Sports holds live broadcast rights in the UK, with live streams available via TNT and discovery+ platforms.
Radio: BBC Test Match Special (TMS) will cover live ball-by-ball radio commentary (UK listeners).
United States & Canada
Live Streaming: Willow TV will show the match live across both territories.
New Zealand
Live Coverage: Sky NZ will broadcast and stream the Test live.
