By the numbers: Mad-cap and memorable Melbourne day one

94,199

Fans inside the ground. The largest ever crowd for a game of cricket at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, surpassing the 93,013 that attended the 2015 ODI World Cup final.

1,467

Days between Test deliveries for Jhye Richardson. The speedster took the winning wicket of James Anderson to seal victory in his most recent Test in December 2021, which also completed a five-wicket haul. He had to wait almost 1,500 days to bowl again at the highest level, taking 0-8 from four overs.

110

England's first innings score. That is the tourists' lowest score in Tests since the last time they played at the MCG. On that day, they were bowled out for 68 as Scott Boland took 6-7.

41

Runs for Harry Brook. Of the 24 individual innings we saw on the opening day, Brook's 41 was the highest score. Michael Neser's 35 was the surprise top-scorer for Australia.

22.9

Balls per wicket on day one. Viewers saw a new wicket fall on average every four overs with England accelerating that average by being bowled out in 29.5 overs (a wicket every 17.5 balls).

20

Wickets that fell on day one. The record is 25, set by these two teams way back in 1901-02, with that match also in Melbourne. The overall record (any day's play) is 27, set by England and Australia at Lord's in 1888. This is the first 20-wicket day in Australia since 22 wickets fell at the Adelaide Oval in 1951.

11

Players dismissed in single figures. Four from Australia and seven from England but interestingly just the one duck – Joe Root.

10

Millimetres of grass left on the wicket by MCG curator Matt Page. He said pre-Test it was the same formula that produced the fifth-day finish against India last year. 

8-25 in 67 balls

What both teams lost (combined) either side of the tea break. Australia lost 4-9 in 19 from Cameron Green's dismissal to the final wicket, before England lost 4-16 in eight overs to begin their first innings.

3

Times Josh Tongue has dismissed Steve Smith in Tests. The tall quick removed Smith in both innings at Lord's in 2023, and captured his wicket in great fashion on day one in Melbourne. It takes their Test head-to-head to a scoreline of 3-35 from 68 balls.

Zero

Overs bowled of spin. Australia chose to not select a front-line spinner and it proved to be the right call with the fast bowlers from both sides relishing the conditions and all 74 overs bowled by the quicks.

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10:30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (fourth Test only): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue