42nd over: Australia 143-6 (Green 17, Neser 31) <\/strong>Tongue returns after being the pick of the bowlers on day one and almost makes an immediate impact as Neser edges the first ball of the over but soft hands help it drop short of slip. Neser then unloads with three consecutive boundaries on the drive as four leg byes from a yorker bring up the 50-run partnership.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 41st over: Australia 127-6 (Green 17, Neser 19) <\/strong>The Australian pair have little trouble dealing with Carse as they work the ball into gaps whether the England quick pitches it short or fuller. Green gets a couple of singles through square leg, while Neser finds two through point and his own pair of ones on the off-side. It might be time for Tongue to return.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.31 EST<\/p>\n 40th over: Australia 121-6 (Green 15, Neser 15) <\/strong>Ben Stokes continues his lengthy spell \u2013 broken up by the drinks break \u2013 into an eight over. Green eases a wider delivery to cover for one as the all-rounder looks increasingly comfortable.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.31 EST<\/p>\n 39th over: Australia 120-6 (Green 14, Neser 15) <\/strong>Brydon Carse returns to the attack after failing to strike earlier in the day. Neser is comfortable ducking under anything short while Carse finds a better range back of a length that draws a play-and-a-miss from the Australian. Maiden over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Thanks Tim. And merry Boxmas to you and all. The Ashes<\/a> might already be settled but England still have small \u2013 and big \u2013 wins to gain and have certainly made the most of their fortune at the toss. But that also does the bowlers a disservice with Josh Tongue (three for 32) in particular impressing at the MCG. With Australia beginning the second half of the day on 120 for six, their new No 7 Cam Green has an opportunity to silence his many critics with a knock that could drag his side back into the fourth Test.<\/p>\n I\u2019ll be guiding us through to stumps. Send your predictions, thought bubbles and other musings with an email<\/a> or find me @martinpegan on Bluesky<\/a> or X<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Drinks: Australia edging back into it?<\/p>\n 38th over: Australia 120-6 (Green 14, Neser 15)<\/strong> Neser gets enough on a drive to send it squirting past gully for four. He\u2019s been standing outside his crease, so maybe England need to post a short leg in his armpit, or have Jamie Smith stand up to the stumps, Carey-style. Or maybe Neser wouldn\u2019t be bothered: by the end of the over, he\u2019s gaily slashing over the slips for four more.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s drinks, which means it\u2019s time for me to hand over to Martin Pegan. Thanks for your company, correspondence and bulletins from the bucket-list seats on Level 4. As Martin has just said to me, Happy Boxmas!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.17 EST<\/p>\n 37th over: Australia 111-6 (Green 14, Neser 6)<\/strong> Atkinson gets a rest now as Tongue comes back. His first ball is a loosener and so is his second. Cam Green clips a full toss for four, then pulls a long hop for four more. Tongue, who took his wickets from the other end, finds some rhythm and collects four dots.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36th over: Australia 103-6 (Green 6, Neser 6)<\/strong> Stokes has bowled well and now he gets even better. Neser is chopped in half like a magician\u2019s assistant, then flirts with LBW. But he keeps calm, carries on and plays an off-drive for four to bring up the hundred.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35th over: Australia 99-6 (Green 6, Neser 2)<\/strong> Atkinson is still bowling, so that\u2019s two seven-over spells from him already. Like Tongue before lunch, he gets that little bit more anodyne as he tires. Green cashes in with two tucks for two.<\/p>\n Cameron Green is batting at No 7 for Australia in the fourth Test. Photograph: Gareth Copley\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.09 EST<\/p>\n 34th over: Australia 95-6 (Green 2, Neser 2)<\/strong> Stokes finds the edge of Neser\u2019s prod, but Jamie Smith isn\u2019t sure he\u2019s made a clean catch. And he\u2019s right, as a replay soon shows. The umpires refer it to their mate in front of the telly, Ahsan Raza, who takes an age to confirm that the ball has indeed bounced. There\u2019s time for the Aussie fans, grabbing a rare chance to make some noise, to start booing Smith. \u201cIt\u2019s ludicrous,\u201d says Graeme Swann, with some reason.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33rd over: Australia 93-6 (Green 2, Neser 0)<\/strong> Cam Green, freshly demoted to No 7, finally gets off the mark with a clip for two off Atkinson, but only after being beaten all ends up by a snorter.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 32nd over: Australia 91-6 (Green 0, Neser 0)<\/strong> That was the wicket England really wanted \u2013 and it was the first ball after Stokes had moved Crawley into leg slip. Stokes pointed to him, and to the analysts in the dressing-room. Now, can England go for the kill?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Carey c Crawley b Stokes 20 (Australia 91-6)<\/p>\n A flick too far! Straight into the hands of Zak Crawley at leg slip.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 31st over: Australia 91-5 (Carey 20, Green 0)<\/strong> Atkinson continues \u2013 his 12th over out of 16 from his end. Again, there\u2019s just one run and again it\u2019s a flick from Carey.<\/p>\n A note of caution for England fans from Andrew Benton. \u201cThis Australian brain fade won\u2019t last long, I fear,\u201d he says. \u201cEngland will be bowling to keep the score under 400 by the end of the day. The Aussies recover well from setbacks.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30th over: Australia 90-5 (Carey 19, Green 0)<\/strong> The partnership was 38, so that wicket came at just the right time for England. Now they\u2019d love to get Carey too. Stokes, who bounced him out in the second innings at Adelaide, tries the same ploy without the same result. Carey escapes with a tuck off his pads, the only run from the over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.41 EST<\/p>\n 29th over: Australia 89-5 (Carey 18, Green 0)<\/strong> Khawaja had just hit his best shot of the day, an off-drive. But Atkinson produced an instant riposte and now he has a well-deserved second wicket: 11-4-21-2.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Joe Root was quite sure about that.<\/strong> He made the review signal to Stokes instantly, so presumably he\u2019d heard the nick. So had Bethell, who was already celebrating. Khawaja went back but played forward, and paid the price for his indecision.<\/p>\n Gus Atkinson appeals for the wicket of Usman Khawaja. Photograph: Gareth Copley\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.34 EST<\/p>\n WICKET! Khawaja c Smith b Atkinson 29 (Australia 89-5)<\/p>\n Khawaja is given out \u2026 by Snicko!<\/p>\n Usman Khawaja walks off the ground not long after lunch. Photograph: Robbie Stephenson\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.40 EST<\/p>\n 28th over: Australia 85-4 (Khawaja 25, Carey 18)<\/strong> As Stokes warms to the task, this is a good contest. Carey, still oozing confidence, whips a single. Khawaja takes a blow from a fast off-cutter, then clips a full one for another single. Carey gets a bottom edge towards the slips, then hits a straight drive that Stokes does well to stop. Straining for a full length again, Stokes overpitches and goes for two. England need to stem the flow.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 27th over: Australia 81-4 (Khawaja 24, Carey 15)<\/strong> At the other end, Atkinson continues. He\u2019s been the only bowler to trouble Carey today and he does it again now, finding the inside edge \u2013 though not before Carey has hit two twos, one on either side of the wicket. Atkinson beats Khawaja too, but this partnership, now 31, is beginning to resemble a recovery.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 26th over: Australia 76-4 (Khawaja 24, Carey 10)<\/strong> Stokes to Khawaja. The first ball is on the spot, defended. The second is a touch too full, driven to mid-off \u2013 where Carse dives over it, concedes two and gets a grimace from Stokes. After that, just a single to each batter.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The players are out there<\/strong> and Ben Stokes is finally going to have a bowl.<\/p>\n Ben Stokes ties his shoe lace before heading out for the afternoon session. Photograph: Robbie Stephenson\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a021.27 EST<\/p>\n Here\u2019s Kim Thonger and he\u2019s not happy.<\/strong> \u201cI wonder if you could ask England to stop taking wickets quite so regularly. I\u2019m trying to multi-task, following the OBO while also booking skis, boots, helmets and lift passes online via the Ski Club of Great Britain app, which is frankly requiring more attention than I\u2019m able to give while stumps and bails are flying hither and thither. Thank you, most kind.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cMorning Tim!\u201d It\u2019s my friend and yours, Emma John.<\/strong> \u201cI\u2019m watching this session from Perth where it\u2019s just coming up 9.30am and already a lot warmer than Melbourne. I\u2019ll miss most of the afternoon\u2019s play flying over there so I\u2019m just hoping England can keep this up while I\u2019m in the air\u2026 My Perth family, who considered themselves Aussie through the first three Tests, have suddenly remembered that they\u2019re English!\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>LUNCH! And the morning belongs to Josh Tongue<\/p>\n 25th over: Australia 72-4 (Khawaja 21, Carey 9)<\/strong> Atkinson beats Carey again, angling the ball in from round the wicket, then nipping it away. Carey dabs the next ball down into the gully, where Jacob Bethell makes another of his fine stops \u2013 and shows us his underpants, which are bright blue Budgy Smugglers. \u201cI wonder if he realises,\u201d says one of the commentators, \u201cthat his trousers are drawstring.\u201d<\/p>\n England\u2019s bowling on this tour has often been pants, but not today. Gus Atkinson set the tone with an opening spell that was straight from the Jofra Archer playbook, asking the right questions and conceding hardly any runs. Brydon Carse was all over the place, but when Josh Tongue replaced him, Australia collapsed \u2013 from 27-0 to 51-4. Are they England in disguise?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.41 EST<\/p>\n 24th over: Australia 70-4 (Khawaja 20, Carey 8)<\/strong> Tongue bowls an eighth over in a row, adding to the suspicion that Stokes is indisposed. Khawaja plays his signature shot, the clip for two, and then sees a full ball early enough to hit it (a) straight and (b) for four, his first boundary in this innings.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.29 EST<\/p>\n 23rd over: Australia 64-4 (Khawaja 14, Carey 8)<\/strong> Carse is taken off for the second time (8-1-32-0). His second spell was better than his first but still inconsistent.<\/p>\n Atkinson returns for an over or two before lunch. He resumes where he left off, drawing a leading edge from Khawaja (which goes away for three) and then beating Carey with a length ball outside off.<\/p>\n Usman Khawaja clips to leg. Again. Photograph: Quinn Rooney\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a022.25 EST<\/p>\n 22nd over: Australia 61-4 (Khawaja 11, Carey 8)<\/strong> Tongue, like Atkinson, bowls his seventh over in a row. Carey is confident, decisive, far more dynamic than Khawaja. He plays an on-drive for two, a cover-drive for two more. He has eight off ten balls, when the three batters above him \u2013 Lasbuschagne, Smith and Khawaja \u2013 have made 26 off 78 between them.<\/p>\n The Barmy Army take the opportunity to sing when they\u2019re winning \u2013 though their song is a hymn to themselves.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 21st over: Australia 57-4 (Khawaja 11, Carey 4)<\/strong> Carse too goes short to Carey, who has no trouble smacking a long hop for three. But again Carse flirts with respectability, persuading Khawaja to inside-edge into his boots, just past the stumps, and then to miscue a pull.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20th over: Australia 54-4 (Khawaja 11, Carey 1)<\/strong> So here\u2019s Alex Carey, who would not have been expecting to bat before lunch. His first ball is short and he tucks it away for a single. Khawaja adds another of his clips for two, but Tongue still goes off to the boundary with a big smile on his face. He has 6-2-14-3.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It was straight, it was full, it was 86mph.<\/strong> it was the kind of ball that sometimes traps Smith LBW, but this time he didn\u2019t even get his pad in the way. And Josh Tongue has three for 11!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>WICKET! Smith b Tongue (Australia 51-4)<\/p>\n \u201cBowled him!\u201d says the commentator on TNT. And a moment later, sure enough, Steve Smith\u2019s middle stump <\/strong>is sent flying.<\/p>\n Steve Smith is bowled out by Josh Tongue. Photograph: James Ross\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a020.12 EST<\/p>\n 19th over: Australia 51-3 (Smith 9, Khawaja 9)<\/strong> Carse continues, which makes you wonder if Stokes is carrying an injury. But Carse does better, beating Khawaja outside off \u2013 and even completing a maiden. His figures are now 7-1-29-0.<\/p>\n \u201cWith these English conditions,\u201d says Colum Fordham, \u201cthe game is just crying out for the doyen of English seamers \u2013 Jimmy Anderson \u2013 who I\u2019d rather have in the side, despite his venerable age, instead of Brydon Carse. Carse may take wickets but he leaks runs with his waywardness. Atkinson has emulated Jimmy with his immaculate length and line. Still, nice to enjoy an Australian mini-collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 18th over: Australia 51-3 (Smith 9, Khawaja 9)<\/strong> As Tongue continues, Khawaja flicks for two and a single, but in between he\u2019s beaten outside off.<\/p>\n \u201cJosh Tongue is bowling beautifully,\u201d Gillespie says, \u201cand yet we\u2019ve got two slips and a gully, four fielders on the leg side. Feels like England are just going through the motions.\u201d I wouldn\u2019t say that, but Stokes has become almost as defensive with his field placings as he\u2019s been with the bat. A gulf has opened up between Bazball and Benball, and it seems to be getting wider.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 17th over: Australia 48-3 (Smith 9, Khawaja 6)<\/strong> Carse again. He keeps Khawaja quiet enough but then sees Smith play an almost premeditated pull, helping the ball round to the square-leg boundary with the greatest of ease. It\u2019s bizarre that Stokes is bowling Carse, in this form, against Australia, in this pickle.<\/p>\n \u201cMorning Tim,\u201d says Dave Espley. \u201cAnother one in level 4 here. Me and my wife with a retirement bucket list trip taking in Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney, with a cheeky week in the Gold Coast.\u201d The whole thing sounds prerety cheeky to someone stuck in London. \u201cOur strategy has been to buy tickets for the first three days then make a call for days 4 and 5, which has worked well so far. Too well… Hoping to have to get my hand in my pocket at some point \u2013 could this be the Test?\u201d Let\u2019s hope.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a019.56 EST<\/p>\n 16th over: Australia 43-3 (Smith 5, Khawaja 5)<\/strong> Tongue to Smith again. Smith is moving around the crease so much, he could be Harry Brook. He plays a quirky little chip, just short of mid-on. Tongue has a leg slip but he could do with a short square leg as well. Where\u2019s Ollie Pope when they need him?<\/p>\n![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766720491_146_Martin_Pegan.png\")
Martin Pegan<\/p>\n