Michael Vaughan Critiques Short Ashes Test Despite England's Victory

Vaughan's Take on the Brief Ashes Test

In Melbourne, Australia, former England cricketer Michael Vaughan has voiced his concerns regarding the recent fourth Ashes Test, which concluded in just two days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). He believes that no true Test cricket enthusiast should be celebrating this outcome.

Led by Ben Stokes, England achieved a notable four-wicket victory over Australia in this match, marking their first win of the series. The current scoreline in the five-match series now stands at 3-1, with Australia having already secured the Ashes.

Vaughan, who has transitioned from player to commentator, acknowledged England's achievement but cautioned against celebrating such a brief Test match. He expressed his views on social media, stating, "A win is a win, and England should celebrate... but NO Test cricket fans should be celebrating what we have seen for 2 days."

During the match, England won the toss and chose to bowl first. Josh Tongue made history by taking England's first-ever five-wicket haul in a Boxing Day Test at the MCG, dismissing Australia for 152 runs in 45.2 overs. Michael Neser and Usman Khawaja were the top scorers for Australia, contributing 35 and 29 runs, respectively.

England's first innings saw them bowled out for 110 runs in 29.5 overs, with Harry Brook scoring 41 runs and Gus Atkinson adding 28. The combination of England's aggressive 'Bazball' strategy faltering and a challenging pitch made it easy for Neser and Scott Boland to claim wickets, leaving England trailing by 42 runs.

In their second innings, Australia struggled again, with only Travis Head and Steve Smith managing to surpass 20 runs. They were dismissed for 132 runs in 34.3 overs, setting England a target of 175 runs to win.

In response, England began their chase positively, with a solid partnership between Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett. Although Australia fought back, reducing England to 165/6, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith ultimately secured the victory for their team.