After losing the first three Ashes tests and facing criticism over players treating a mid-tour break in Noosa like a boozy “stag do,” hopes seemed dim for England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Without injured paceman Jofra Archer and with Gus Atkinson suffering a hamstring strain early on day two, England had to muster their strength to contain Australia and chase down 175 runs on a challenging pitch for batters.
Ultimately, with the Barmy Army singing triumphantly, Stokes could finally celebrate a test win on Australian soil, even though the hosts had already secured the urn after the third test in Adelaide.
“I think this means a lot to everyone,” he remarked about England’s first test win Down Under since January 2011.
“Then there’s me and Joe (Root), who have been here several times and experienced the wrong side of the scoreline.
“But we will all share the same sense of achievement from winning a game here.
“Moreover, it was a Boxing Day test match, a major sporting event that we’re fortunate to compete in.
“There will be a range of emotions tied to this victory.”
During their first Ashes tour, Stokes and Root were included in the England squad that faced a 5-0 whitewash in 2013/14 against the formidable Mitchell Johnson and an aggressive Australian team.
Stokes missed the next tour in 2017/18 due to defending against assault charges he was later cleared of, but came back for the 2021/22 tour, which saw England lose 4-0 once more.
Australia pursued a whitewash in the current series, but the MCG pitch thwarted the hosts, allowing England to finally click.
After the bowlers dismissed Australia for 132 in their second innings early on day two, England’s previously struggling top order attacked Australia’s pace bowlers at six or seven runs an over.
This softened the ball’s seam, diminishing its movement off the pitch and enabling the middle-order batters to seal victory late on day two.
England has achieved some remarkable chases, such as the 371-run target reached against India at Headingley in the first test of the home summer series.
However, Stokes deemed the 175-run chase at the MCG as one of the best, considering the pitch conditions and the off-field chaos surrounding the team leading up to the match.
“Chasing down 170 on a wicket like that was never going to be a walk in the park,” he stated.
“Given everything leading up to this test match and the challenging conditions for chasing 170, it felt almost like going after 340.
“But I adore how we approached it, not letting a very skilled bowling attack settle into their preferred areas.”
First Published: Dec 27, 2025 2:50 PM IST
