20 wickets in 75.1 overs: Boxing Day 2025 enters Ashes history
20-wicket tally is the joint third-most to fall on Day 1 of an Ashes Test ever, and the most between the two sides post as many at Old Trafford in 1909.
That's also the joint third-highest wicket-tally on the opening day of a Test in Australia, alongside as many at the same venue during the 1894/95 Ashes and against South Africa in 1931/32. The second Test of the 1901/02 Ashes in Melbourne featured 25 wickets on Day 1, while 22 fell between hosts and West Indies at the Adelaide Oval in 1951/52.
Most wickets on Day 1 in Tests between Australia and England
25 - Melbourne, 1901/02 | 22 - The Oval, 1890 | 20 - The Oval, 1882 | 20 - Old Trafford, 1909 | 20 - Melbourne, 1894/95 | 20 - Melbourne, 2025/26 | 19 - Perth, 2025/26
Most wickets in a day's play in Tests at the MCG
| Wickets | Fixture | Season (Match Day) |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Australia vs England | 1901/02 (Day 1) |
| 20 | Australia vs South Africa | 1931/32 (Day 1) |
| 20 | Australia vs England | 1894/95 (Day 1) |
| 20 | Australia vs England | 2025/26 (Day 1) |
| 18 | Australia vs England | 1998/99 (Day 4) |
| 18 | Australia vs England | 1903/04 (Day 3) |
152 is the fourth-lowest all-out total for Australia in home Ashes Tests since 2000, after 98 at the same venue back in 2010/11, 132 in Perth last month and 138 in Adelaide in 2017/18.
This was the third time that Australia were bundled out within 50 overs in an home Ashes Test since 2000, after 98 in 42.5 overs at the same venue in 2010 and 132 in 45.2 overs in the ongoing series opener in Perth.
110 is England's third-lowest all-out total in an away Ashes Test since 2000, after 68 at the same venue in 2021 and 79 at the Gabba in 2002.
It was also the fourth time that England were skittled out in under 30 overs (29.5 on Friday) in an Ashes Test post World War II, after 27.4 (Melbourne, 2021), 27.5 (Headingley, 2019) and 28.2 (Brisbane, 2002).
451 balls i.e. 75.1 overs batted by both teams combined in their respective first innings is the second-lowest such tally in an Ashes Test ever (wherein both teams had been bundled out), only second to 287 balls at the same venue back in 1901/02, which leads the overall list in Tests, followed by 349 between South Africa and India in Cape Town in January 2024.
Least balls faced by both teams combined in first two innings of an Ashes Test
287 - Melbourne, 1901/02 | 451 - Melbourne, 2025/26 | 469 - Perth, 2025/26 | 480 - Headingley, 2019 | 486 - Lord's, 1888
42-run lead is the fifth-highest first innings lead for a team to be skittled out for under 175 in a Test match while batting first post World War II. Three of the top six instances have come across the last two seasons in Australia.
Highest first-innings lead after scoring sub-175 while batting first (post WWII)
| Lead | 1st innings | 2nd innings | Venue, Season | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | 145 (PAK) | 76 (WI) | Dhaka, 1958/59 | Pakistan |
| 54 | 164 (SA) | 110 (ENG) | Port Elizabeth, 1956/57 | South Africa |
| 46 | 150 (IND) | 104 (AUS) | Perth, 2024/25 | India |
| 43 | 138 (AUS) | 95 (ENG) | Melbourne, 1976/77 | Australia |
| 42 | 152 (AUS) | 110 (ENG) | Melbourne, 2025/26 | - |
| 40 | 172 (ENG) | 132 (AUS) | Perth 2025/26 | Australia |
212 catches for Steven Smith as a fielder in Tests, taking him past Rahul Dravid's tally of 210 in a list currently headed by Joe Root (214). Mahela Jayawardene (205) and Jacques Kallis (200) round off the top-five.
3468 balls taken by Harry Brook to get to 3,000 Test runs is the least taken by anyone to that mark in the format (where ball-by-ball data is available), bettering Adam Gilchrist's record of 3610. David Warner (4047), Rishabh Pant (4095) and Virender Sehwag (4129) occupy the next three spots in this list.
86.85 - Of the 348 batters with a minimum of 2000 runs in Tests, Brook has the highest strike-rate, followed by Ben Duckett (86.11).
In fact, he is one of the only four cricketers to have over 3000 runs at a 45-plus average and 70-plus strike-rate in Test cricket, alongside Vivian Richards (8540 runs at 50.23, SR: 70.2), Sehwag (8586 runs at 49.34, SR: 82.23) and Gilchrist (5570 runs at 47.6, SR: 81.95).
5/45 - Josh Tongue became the first England bowler to bag a Test five-for at the MCG in the 21st century. Darren Gough and Dean Headley were the last ones to do so - in England's 12-run win back in 1998.
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