Root and Stokes savour an Ashes win for the future

And so, on the furry grass of the MCG centre wicket and amid the masses decrying the very nature of this quite unbelievable contest, England greats Joe Root and Ben Stokes finally tasted an Ashes Test win in Australia.

For the second time in four matches through this at-times bizarre Ashes series, a match took on the feel of a limited-overs contest, played out across four innings inside a couple of chaotic days as Bazball awoke from the dead and, ironically after their tame retreat when the series was live in Adelaide, proved a winning method for England.

It was a style of cricket worryingly reminiscent of the frenetic nature of the first Test in Perth. That two-day affair was laughed off at the time as unique, and never to be repeated. A month later, here we are again. Is this the new normal?

Yes, the grass on the MCG pitch became a leading character through six stupefying sessions, offering movement aplenty for both pace attacks. But there were two batting groups who might also bear some culpability for a contest that was roundly criticised by broadcasters and fans alike.

On a second morning that seemed to be played in fast-forward, it felt like Australia had failed to heed that trusted old maxim: Never get into a fight with a Bazballer – they'll bring you down to their level and beat you with experience.

But the near-comical regularity with which wickets were falling proved deceptive; Australia's second innings ticked along at a run rate of 3.83, and it was the frantic nature of the hosts' batting – rather than any rapid runs they were scoring – that helped to create the illusion.

"Steve Smith said ... if we had 60 or 70 more runs across both innings it might have been enough, so they have only got themselves to blame with their batting today," said Ricky Ponting on Seven's coverage. "Yes, it was difficult, but some of the dismissals we saw weren’t good enough for Test match cricket."

Perhaps Australia's batting struggles are best illustrated by the feats of Brydon Carse. Though castigated for his inconsistency – a trait that has seen him concede 4.68 runs per over through the series – Carse has nonetheless collected a wicket every 32.73 balls; for England bowlers to have sent down at least 500 deliveries in Ashes Tests in Australia, it is the best strike-rate in history.

And as unlikely a hero as the right-arm paceman was today for the tourists with his leading return of 4-34, he was outdone in that measure – at least from an Australian perspective – by an excellent cameo from Jacob Bethell.

When England last won a Test in Australia, back in January 2011, Bethell – who was born and raised in Barbados – had not long celebrated his seventh birthday. The stylish left-hander seemed to be thrown to the wolves when he was sent in at number three on day one, lasting just five balls for a single before nicking off to Michael Neser.

Yet his performance today – a crucial 40 from 46 deliveries – might have felt like a small moment of vindication for England head coach Brendon McCullum and his managing director Rob Key, who have banked on the 22-year-old as something of a project player for at least the past 12 months.

There was scant evidence for their faith – he has infamously yet to score a first-class hundred – though clearly it was enough. Bethell played three Tests in New Zealand last summer and made second-innings scores of 50no, 96 and 76. Just a couple of months ago, Key doubled down on the young left-hander even after he looked all at sea in the final Test of the home summer against India, scoring six and five.

"When you watch him, he's got time," he said. "He looks just one of those players that could be a generational talent, in all formats."

A dozen years ago, similar statements were being made about Root and Stokes, the veteran pair who have gone their entire storied careers without a victory in this country.

Until now.

"To lose the series is obviously very disappointing but it was important we showed a lot of character," Root said after play. "I think we adapted to (the pitch) as much as we could, showed a bit of bravery today the way we approached it with the bat, and that's why we won the Test match."

After 17 winless Tests for Root and 12 for Stokes, it might have been fitting for one of the pair to have contributed the winning runs. Instead they fell along the way, and it was Harry Brook and Jamie Smith – a poster child and a prodigy of Bazball respectively – who sealed the four-wicket win, finally giving the Barmy Army cause for cheer in the final week of 2025.

Quickly the talk will turn to postmortems for both sides, though England's might be particularly interesting to hear. Given this success came off the back of a renewed – if belated – commitment to Bazball, was it a misstep to shy away from that strategy while the series was still on the line? Will the vindication of a lone triumph outweigh the frustration of what might have been?

For his part, Root was more concerned with what this victory might mean moving forward for the newer members of the England squad.

"There's quite a few of them on their first tour so to get a win I think is really important," he said. "Now we've got to carry it on to the next game."

Perhaps he has a point. It is strange to consider the likes of Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja made their Ashes bows during the 2010-11 home series in which Australia were soundly beaten, then headed abroad for more of the same treatment in 2013.

It was only the following summer that the wheel turned. Australia have dropped just one series out of seven since, but now – albeit in extraordinary circumstances – they have finally lost a match at home.

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