Australia Won the 2nd Test by 8 Wickets: The second match of the Ashes 2025 between Australia and England was played with a pink ball at the Gabba in Brisbane, making it the only day-night match of the series. Australia dominated the match and secured a 2-0 lead in the series. Australia won the match convincingly in just four days.
Meanwhile, in the first Test match played in Perth, Australia had also handed England a crushing defeat by 8 wickets. Just like in the previous match, Australia won by 8 wickets this time as well. England set a target of only 65 runs for Australia, which the home team achieved with the loss of just two wickets.
Australia Playing-11: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith(c), Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey(w), Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett.
England Playing-11: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (w), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.
In this Pink Ball Test played between Australia and England, England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to bat first. England's batting performance was quite ordinary, and they were bowled out for just 334 runs. In reply, Australia scored 511 runs, taking a lead of 177 runs over the visiting team.
England's situation worsened in the second innings as well. They could only manage 241 runs in their second innings. Since they were already 177 runs behind Australia's first innings total, they could only set a target of 65 runs for the hosts.
Chasing a target of 65 runs, Australian opener Travis Head scored 22 runs off 22 balls. Marnus Labuschagne managed only three runs off six balls. However, Steve Smith, coming in at number four, scored quickly and sealed the victory for Australia with a six. Smith remained unbeaten on 23 runs off just nine balls, including two fours and two sixes, showcasing an impressive strike rate of 255 in Test cricket. Jake Weatherald also remained unbeaten on 17 runs off 23 balls, including two fours. Australia reached the target of 69 runs for the loss of two wickets in 10 overs, securing an eight-wicket victory.
Dominance of Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser
Mitchell Starc and Michael Neser stole the show in the second Test of the Ashes series against England. Starc impressed with both bat and ball for the Australian team. He took 8 wickets across both innings and also top-scored for his team in the first innings with 77 runs.
It wasn't just Starc who troubled England with the pink ball; Australia's Michael Neser also wreaked havoc. Michael Neser took a five-wicket haul in the second innings, claiming 5 wickets for 42 runs in 16.2 overs. This is why England could only manage 241 runs in their second innings, giving Australia a relatively easy target.
WTC 2025-27 Points Table
With this win, Australia has further strengthened its position in the World Test Championship points table. Australian team has played five matches so far in the World Test Championship 2025-2027 (WTC) and has won all five. Their win percentage is 100%. Meanwhile, after the defeat, England's win percentage has dropped to 36.11%, and the team is currently in sixth place in the points table. This is England's fourth loss in seven matches. England has won two matches, while one match ended in a draw.
