Ashes | Punches galore on Boxing Day as Australia take first innings lead on 20-wicket Day 1

‌England won the toss and sent Australia in to bat first on a lush track boasting 10mm of grass on a cold Melbourne morning. Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse began well, challenging Jake Weatherald and Travis Head's edges with the new ball with testing lines and lengths. However, Carse faltered in the sixth over and was promptly put away for three boundaries, onky for Atkinson to get Head to chop one onto his stumps the very next over. The introduction of Josh Tongue in the 10th over spelled further doom for the hosts as Weatherald glanced one straight into Jamie Smith's gloves, two overs before a delivery deviated sharply and took Marnus Labuschagne victim in the slips. Tongue capped off his spell in the best way possible, his unducker piercing the gap between Steve Smith's bat and pad to leave the hosts reeling at 51/4. Alex Carey and Usman Khawaja ensured there were no further hiccups until Lunch, the duo taking Australia to 72/4 at the break.

The partnership inflated to 39 upon resumption even as Atkinson provided a clinic of disciplined bowling, and was rewarded for his efforts soon enough when a squared up Khawaja edged one to to the keeper. Ben Stokes opened his account too shortly after by having Alex Carey caught at leg slip, as the hosts tumbled further to 91/6 with Cameron Green the only recognized batter at the crease. As it turned out, the all-rounder put up the only half-century stand of the day with Michael Neser, the latter slamming a hattrick of boundaries against Tongue at one point to become the only batter to surpass 30. However, just when the stand was beginning to bloom, an unequited risky single saw Carse throw down the stumps off his bowling to run-out Green, triggering the beginning of the end. Carse dispatched Mitchell Starc in his next over before Tongue scalped Michael Neser and Scott Boland on successive deliveries to complete his fifer and wrap up Australia's effort for 152 right at the stroke of Tea.

England began the final session ominously with Starc and Neser delivering threating overs first-up, the former converting it into the wicket of Ben Duckett with a loose poke on the pads. Neser opened hs account six deliveries later by having Ashes debutant Jacob Bethell nick behind, four balls before Starc had a defending Crawley caught at slip as bedlam erupted in Melbourne. Joe Root tried to grind out the phase and get his eye in but could only manage a 15-ball duck before succumbing to Neser, as England's score read a horrid 16/4. Harry Brook decided the only way to handle crisis was with counterattack as he charged down Starc first ball, before walloping him for a maximum dismissively over point immediately after Root's dismissal. The youngster swung for the fences every chance he got, be it picking a Starc bouncer towards fine leg for four or standing tall against Neser and dispatching a pull over midwicket, even as Ben Stokes soaked the pressure from the other end. The partnership grew to 50 in quick time until a Boland nip-backer sent Brook packing for 41 off 34, the score 68/5. The pacer followed up by sounding Jamie Smith the death rattle in his next over and then having Will Jacks caught behind, while Neser got the better of Stokes and Carse as England fell to 91/9. Atkinson tried to erase the remaining deficit with a series of boundaries while protecting Tongue, with the hopes of getting through to Stumps still batting. The 27-year-old had taken England to 110 with his 25-run cameo and just a couple of overs remained when Steve Smith handed the ball to green, who needed just five deliveries to clean up Atkinson and secure Australia a 42-run lead.

With just one over to play out, Australia sent Boland to open alongside Travis Head, the tailender surviving a couple of challenging moments before hitting a four last four to provoke raucous applause from the MCG and call Stumps.

Sad

Lol

Yup

Out

And yet

Superb

Boland refused 

Comfortably

What a win

Diabolical