Melbourne [Australia], December 27 : England stand on cusp of ending their 18-match winless Test match run in Australia as the opening pair of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett put them in the driver's seat with a fifty partnership chasing 175 runs to secure the prestigious Boxing Day Test fixture at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), ending the second session on day two on a high.
At the end of the session, England was 77/2, with Crawley (22*) and Jacob Bethell (9*) unbeaten, and the Three Lions left with 98 runs to chase down.
Australia started the second session at 98/6, with Steve Smith (16*) and Cameron Green (6*). England did begin on a shaky note, with Josh Tongue bowling a no ball and conceeding two successive fours against Green to start off the opening over, bringing up the 100-run mark in 25.3 overs.
Just when it seemed Smith and Green were building a partnership, skipper Ben Stokes produced a miracle for England, removing Green for a 29-ball 19, with three fours, as he chased a wide delivery and edged it straight to Harry Brook at slips. Australia was 119/7 in 30.5 overs.
The Three Lions did not take much time in dismantling the tail, bowling out Australia for 132 runs in 34.3 overs, with a lead of 174 runs, giving England a target of 175 runs to win.
Brydon Carse (4/34), skipper Stokes (3/24), and Tongue (2/44) were the pick the bowlers for England.
In the run chase of 175 runs, England started off well, with Mitchell Starc offering a freebie to Zak Crawley for four in the first over itself. The Bazballing started to come right for England as Duckett launched Starc for a four backward of square, followed by Crawley launching Michael Neser for a six and a four in the fifth over.
Neser struggled against the aggressive intent of openers, even becoming the victim of a brilliant lap shot over the wicketkeeper's head by Duckett, who looked back to his absolute best, though too late for England. With a hard slash against Starc by Duckett, England registered their first 50-run stand this Ashes in just 6.5 overs. However, Starc avenged this rare humiliation by cleaning up Duckett for 26-ball 34 (with four boundaries and a six) on the next ball. England was 51/1 in seven overs.
Brydon Carse was sent at number three, but became quick lunch for Jhye Richardson, playing his first Test in four years, scoring just six in eight balls. England was 65/2 in 9.5 overs.
The pair of Crawley and Jacob Bethell took England through the remainder of the session without any further loss of wickets.
At the end of the first session, Australia was 98/6 in 25 overs, with Smith (16*) and Green (6*). They lead by 140 runs and are left with just four wickets, within which they have to set something challenging for England in what has been an absolute heaven for bowlers so far. However, English pacer Gus Atkinson had to leave the field due to some soreness in his hamstring just a few overs into the session.
Australia started off their day at 4/0, with Scott Boland (4*) and Travis Head (0*) unbeaten.
Six overs into the session, Gus Atkinson produced a breakthrough for England, removing Boland, the nightwatchman, for just six after he nicked one into keeper Jamie Smith's hands. Australia was one down for 22 in 6.1 overs.
The arrival of skipper Ben Stokes led to the perishing of Jake Weatherald for just five in 15 balls, with his stumps in a mess. Australia was 40/2 in 10.5 overs.
Australia reached the 50-run mark in 13.3 overs.
Marnus Labuschagne's poor Ashes run continued as he handed an easy catch to Joe Root at first slip for just eight in 18 balls, giving Josh Tongue his first of the innings and sixth of the match. Australia was 61/3 in 17.3 overs.
Head's resistance came to an ugly end courtesy a scrambled seam delivery from Brydon Carse that hit the top of his off-stump, beating the edge of his bat. The left-hander took a long walk back for 67-ball 46, with four boundaries, with Australia left at 82/4 in 21 overs.
Usman Khawaja's MCG Boxing Day Test journey concluded on a disappointing note as he gave an easy catch to substitute fielder, Ollie Pope and Tongue got him for a two-ball duck, with half the Aussie side down at 83 runs.
Carse also removed Alex Carey for just four. Australia sank to 88/6.
Smith and Green played out the remainder of the session without another loss of wickets.
Meanwhile, England elected to bowl first, and a five-wicket haul from Josh Tongue (5/45) bowled out Australia for just 152 in the first innings, with Neser (35 in 49 balls, with seven fours) and Usman Khawaja (29 in 52 balls, with two fours) being top-scorers for the Aussies.
Tongue made history, becoming the first bowler from his team to take a five-wicket haul in the prestigious Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in the 21st century, playing a crucial role in cutting short Australia's innings to just two sessions.
Tongue produced the aggression, ruthlessness and venom that England fans had been waiting for. Having already lost the Ashes Test series and extending their wait for their first triumph in Australia since 2010/11, England and particularly Tongue, came to MCG for the prestigious fixture with vengeance in their eyes. Playing for the Three Lions badge on the chest, Tongue played for the fiery English pride, which has suffered many wounds in Australia since their last Ashes series win there, having been winless over the previous 18 Tests there.
Darren Gough and Dean Headley took a five-for at the MCG in 1998.
England ended their day by huffing and puffing their way to 110 all out, with Brook top-scoring and Gus Atkinson (28 in 35 balls, with two fours and a six) grinding it out as Michael Neser (4/45) and Scott Boland (3/30) made merry. Australia ended the day at 4/0, leading by 46 runs.
Brief Scores: Australia:152 and 132 (Travis Head 46, Steve Smith 24*, Brydon Carse 4/34) against England: 110 and 77/2 (Ben Duckett 34, Zak Crawley 22*, Jhye Richardson 1/14).
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