Josh Tongue Shines as England Secures Historic Ashes Victory in Melbourne
Josh Tongue's Historic Performance
In a remarkable display on Boxing Day, England's Josh Tongue achieved a five-wicket haul, marking a significant milestone as he became the first England bowler to earn the Player of the Match title in an Ashes Test in Australia since Dean Headley in 1998, according to reports from a sports media outlet.
On Friday evening, Tongue's impressive figures of 5/45 were immortalized on the honours board in the Melbourne Cricket Ground's visiting team dressing room. His name now shares space with that of Jasprit Bumrah, who also made his mark on the board in 2018 and 2024.
Tongue boasts an impressive strike rate, taking a wicket every 39.6 balls, although he has conceded over four runs per over.
Notably, Tongue has dismissed Australian star Steve Smith every time they have faced each other, totaling five encounters. His first wicket of Smith came during the County Championship three seasons ago, followed by two dismissals in the 2023 Ashes Test at Lord's and another in The Hundred while playing for Manchester Originals.
Smith praised Tongue's bowling, stating, "He bowled nicely. He gets above the perpendicular, shapes the ball back into you with that angle, and draws you into playing, similar to Scotty Boland in a way. They have similar release points and angles they create. He’s a good bowler and has performed well every time he’s had the chance to play for England."
Match Overview
In the match, England won the toss and chose to bowl first. Tongue's 5/45 led to Australia being dismissed for just 152 runs in 45.2 overs, with Michael Neser (35 runs off 49 balls) and Usman Khawaja (29 runs off 52 balls) being the top scorers. Neser and Cameron Green (17 runs) shared a crucial partnership before a run out triggered a collapse.
England struggled in their first innings, getting bowled out for 110 runs in 29.5 overs. Harry Brook (41 runs off 34 balls) and Gus Atkinson (28 runs off 35 balls) were the only notable contributors. The combination of England's aggressive 'Bazball' strategy faltering and the challenging pitch conditions allowed Neser (4/45) and Scott Boland (3/30) to claim easy wickets, leaving England trailing by 42 runs.
In their second innings, Australia again faltered, with only Travis Head (46 runs off 67 balls) and Steve Smith (24* runs off 39 balls) managing to score above 20 runs. England bowled Australia out for 132 runs in 34.3 overs, setting a target of 175 runs for victory. Brydon Carse (4/34) and captain Ben Stokes (3/24) were the standout bowlers for England.
During the chase, England began strongly with a solid partnership between Zak Crawley (37 runs off 48 balls) and Ben Duckett (34 runs off 26 balls), followed by a 47-run partnership between Crawley and Jacob Bethell (40 runs off 46 balls). Although Australia fought back, reducing England from 112/2 to 165/6, Harry Brook (18*) and Jamie Smith (3*) ultimately led their team to a memorable victory.