England Bazball received another reality check in the second Test of the Ashes 2025-26 when they were bowled out by 8 wickets on Day 4 at The Gabba in Brisbane. England captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks did their best to delay the inevitable with a massive 96 for the seventh wicket.
However, Michael Neser’s immaculate line, along with Steve Smith’s brilliance at first slip, ensured that England’s hopes of a first Test victory in Australia in 14 years remained mere fantasy for another week. It didn’t take long for the right-arm seamer to clear the tail as England raced to 241 to take a slender 65-run lead.
Travis Head and Jake Weatherald came out in the fourth innings to replicate their fireworks display from the first Test. It was the usual scene at the Gabba exhibition with Travis Head unleashing his mayhem and the England bowlers screaming for help as the balls were hit to the boundary one by one.
There was plenty to cheer for the visitors when Atkison got Head (22 off 22) to chip one back onto his stumps. The quick was in good rhythm as he also bounced Marnus Labuschagne (3 off 6) and found his outside edge with a delivery that climbed to the Australian batsman.
With Australia 41/2, he edged skipper Steve Smith to finish the job for his side and guide them to a 2-0 win. In what was expected to be a dull passage of play in the last few overs, Jofra Archer awakened the sleeping beast inside Smith with both his fiery pace and verbal volleys.
The Australian skipper was not one to take it all without retaliation, hitting Archer for two fours and a six. He went on to end the innings with a massive six over deep four, bringing Australia home with his dazzling cameo of 23* (9) and guiding them to a six-wicket victory.
Earlier, Ben Stokes and Will Jacks restored their six-run overnight stand and showed tremendous application in the crease. It was as if the ghosts of ‘Baseball’ had been exorcised from the duo, who were willing to wait for the crease, well aware of the hole they had put themselves into.
Another to watch.
– The end
Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
December 7, 2025
