Steve Smith praises Ben Stokes’ England after Boxing Day Ashes defeat: “They played really well”
Australia captain Steve Smith has credited Ben Stokes’ England for outplaying his side in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, where the visitors scripted a dramatic four-wicket win to end their 14-year wait for a Test victory on Australian soil. Despite having already secured the Ashes, Smith acknowledged England’s resilience and energy in Melbourne, which halted Australia’s hopes of a 5-0 clean sweep.
England end long drought in Australia
England’s victory in the fourth Ashes Test was their first on Australian soil since January 2011 — a drought spanning over 5,000 days. They defeated the hosts by four wickets after a thrilling low-scoring contest dominated by seam bowling.
After England opted to bowl first, young pacer Josh Tongue produced a fiery spell, claiming 5 for 37 to bowl Australia out for just 152. In reply, England collapsed to 110, giving the hosts a narrow 42-run lead. But Australia’s batting faltered again in their second innings, mustering just 132 all out, setting England a tricky chase of 175 on a tricky pitch.
Openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett set the tone with a counter-attacking stand that broke the back of the chase. Despite a brief wobble, Harry Brook (18)* and Jamie Smith (9)* ensured victory, finishing the match late on the fourth day. The win gave England their first triumph of the tour, narrowing the series to 3-1 with one Test remaining.
Steve Smith: “England played really well today”
Speaking after the defeat, Steve Smith admitted that England surpassed them in key moments.
“We’d love to win every game and keep every streak going. But England played really well today,” Smith said post-match. “We probably controlled the first half of the game, but then they came back and took it away from us. Particularly the way Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett started — they got them off to a flyer and broke the back of the chase. That made a big difference.”
The defeat also ended Australia’s 16-match unbeaten home run against England, a streak that had stretched across nearly a decade and a half.
“Harry Brook had the most success on that wicket”
On a pitch where most batters struggled, Steve Smith singled out Harry Brook for praise, noting his positive intent as a key factor in unsettling Australian bowlers.
“I think the guy with the most success on that wicket was probably Harry Brook. Running down the wicket, playing some kind of rogue shots, and trying to get the bowlers off their lengths — that worked for him,” Smith observed.
Brook played a crucial role across both innings, scoring a quickfire 41 off 34 balls in the first innings and maintaining composure late in the chase with an unbeaten 18.
Asked whether Australia could have been more aggressive, Smith said it was a tough balance on a bowler-friendly pitch:
“Whether we could have been a bit more proactive, potentially, that’s something we’ll talk about. But it’s tricky. You want to dig in for your team sometimes. If we’d extended a couple of partnerships, maybe the ball would have softened and batting would’ve been easier. We never quite got there — both teams were bowled out inside 50 overs.”
Series locked but pride at stake
Australia still lead the five-match Ashes series 3-1, having already retained the urn with three dominant wins in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide. However, England’s win at the MCG has injected fresh life into the contest and denied Smith’s side the opportunity for only their second Ashes whitewash since 2013–14.
The final Test begins at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on January 3, with both teams eyeing momentum — Australia looking to cap the series on a high, and England hoping to finish the tour on level terms with back-to-back wins.