Australian Men’s Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team Match : Australia will face England in the fourth Test of the Ashes as the series moves to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the traditional Boxing Day contest. Australia enter the fourth Test with momentum after winning the first three matches of the series and retaining the Ashes urn. The hosts will be aiming for a 5–0 clean sweep. England will be looking to change their fortunes and register their first Test win of the tour.. The match is scheduled to be played from Dec. 26 to Dec. 30. The match will begin at 5 a.m. IST.
Head-to-Head Record at Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground has hosted 57 Test matches between Australia and England. Australia have won 29 matches at the venue. England have secured 20 victories, while eight games have ended in draws. The upcoming Test will be the 58th meeting between the teams at the MCG.
Weather report
The weather in Melbourne is expected to remain mostly clear across the five days of the Test. There is a slight chance of rain on Day 1 and Day 5. The maximum temperature is forecast to reach around 32 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature may drop to 8 degrees Celsius. The hot conditions are likely to play a key role as the match progresses, especially in the later stages.
Pitch report
The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground is expected to offer a balanced contest between bat and ball. Traditionally, the surface supports batting during the first three days, with good bounce and carry once players get through the opening session. Fast bowlers may find some assistance early, as the new ball is expected to move in the air and off the seam during the first thirty overs. Batters who survive this phase are likely to score freely as the day progresses. As temperatures rise, cracks are expected to develop on the surface. This could lead to uneven bounce on Days 4 and 5, bringing both pace bowlers and spinners into the game if they bowl in the right areas.
Squads
Australia:Steve Smith (captain), 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:Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook, 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, Josh Tongue.
England Playing XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue
Australia XII : Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson.
Live Broadcast
Live telecast of the Australia vs England Test will be available on Star Sports Network. Fans can also stream the match live on the Jio Hotstar app and website.