ASHES | Australia Beats England By 8 Wickets To Take 2-0 Lead

Udaipur, Dec 07, 2025: After losing to Australia in Perth over two days, England suffered another defeat in the Brisbane Test, losing by eight wickets. Australia chased down the target of 65 without blinking an eyelid.

Despite the return of Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, captain Steve Smith and opener Jake Weatherald guided Australia to victory. Smith sealed the win with a six off the last ball of the 10th over of the innings. With this win, Australia took a 2-0 lead in the Ashes.

The result has put Australia close to securing the series. Historically, only one team in Test cricket has won the first two matches of a five-match series and then lost the series. That team was England in the 1936–37 Ashes, when they won the first two Tests but eventually lost 3–2 to Australia.

Fielding Makes the Difference

The difference in this day-night Test in Brisbane was the fielding of both teams. While England dropped five catches in the first innings, Australia took one excellent catch after another.

On the fourth day, when Ben Stokes and Will Jacks were at the crease, both were dismissed by brilliant catches. In the 70th over, Steve Smith leapt to his left at slip off Michael Neser’s delivery and caught Jacks, who had scored 41 runs. Later, Alex Carey took a superb catch to dismiss Stokes, who had made a fifty. Carey’s keeping throughout the match was exceptional, handling balls at high speed and uneven bounce with ease. He even completed the catch of Stokes from a short delivery.

Neser was outstanding, taking five wickets in the second innings, marking his first five-wicket haul in his career during the second Test at Brisbane. The decision to include Neser in place of the experienced Nathan Lyon, who had played 69 consecutive home Tests, had been questioned, however his performance has silenced critics.

Match Summary

England began the day on 134/6. Stokes and Jacks added 96 runs for the seventh wicket off 221 balls before a collapse saw England lose their last four wickets for just 17 runs, finishing at 241. Earlier, they had lost six wickets for 38 runs at the end of the previous day.

Australia scored 511 in their first innings with five fifties: Jack Weatherald (72), Marnus Labuschagne (65), Steve Smith (61), Alex Carey (63), and Mitchell Starc (77). Starc was named Man of the Match in Brisbane after also impressing in Perth.

Brief Scores:

England: 334 & 241

Australia: 511 & 69/2

Result: Australia won by 8 wickets

Man of the Match: Mitchell Starc