Jacob Bethell had a slightly wasted summer, but his second innings at the MCG showed why England think so highly of him

Australia collapsed for 152 yet still claimed a 42-run lead over England on the first innings in a remarkable opening day of the fourth Ashes test in which 20 wickets fell.

Australia's home dominance has been maintained with the urn again retained before Christmas, leaving fans of both teams craving competition

Usman Khawaja is certain to play in the fifth Ashes Test but he has left selectors in the dark surrounding his long-term plans beyond the series finale.

The 2025-26 Ashes series is available to live stream for free on 7plus. 7plus is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 7plus from anywhere in the world.

A veteran curator has taken aim at MCG head curator Matt Page after the two-day fourth Ashes Test, while England champion Joe Root has backed the likes of coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key to keep their jobs beyond this tour.

Veteran Usman Khawaja has missed selection to Australia’s team for the third Ashes test against England with Travis Head kept at the top of the batting lineup with Jake Weatherald.

Joe Root says England players absolutely committed to current management after Ashes defeat; two-day win at the MCG was Roots first in a Test in Australia in 18 tries and he admits victory feels weird with series already lost;