Melbourne, Dec. 26 -- : The Melbourne Cricket Ground turned back the clock on Friday, serving up a throwback to Test cricket's wild, unpredictable past as wickets fell in a steady stream through a breathless opening day of the Australia-England Test.
By stumps, 20 wickets had crashed, batters rarely settled and bowlers barely paused for breath, making it one of the most dramatic first days seen at the MCG in decades. The 2025/26 Ashes contest now sits alongside some of the most infamous days in the ground's long history, recalling an era when survival, not strokeplay, was the prime currency.
Only once has the MCG witnessed greater destruction in a single day - the legendary 1901/02 Ashes Test, when 25 wickets fell on Day One.
Friday's ma...