Brisbane, December 7, 2025 – Australia sealed a dominant eight-wicket victory over England in the second Test of the 2025/26 NRMA Insurance Men’s Ashes at the Gabba, extending their lead in the series to an imposing 2-0. The four-day, Day/Night contest was a rollercoaster of momentum swings, shoddy English fielding, and moments of individual brilliance, culminating in a chaotic, adrenaline-fueled finale that perfectly encapsulated the rivalry.
The final margin—Australia chasing down a paltry 65-run target with eight wickets in hand—belies the drama and defiance that preceded it. Ultimately, the contest was decided by Australia’s collective batting effort, exemplified by the masterful all-round performance of Player of the Match Mitchell Starc, and a decisive collapse by the tourists under the Saturday night lights.
📝 Match Scorecard Summary
| Innings | Team | Score | Key Performances |
| 1st Innings | England | 334 all out (76.2 overs) | J. Root (138*), J. Archer (38). Starc (6/75). |
| 1st Innings | Australia | 511 all out (90.2 overs) | J. Weatherald (72), M. Starc (77), S. Smith (61), A. Carey (63), M. Labuschagne (65). Carse (4/152). |
| 2nd Innings | England | 241 all out (77.2 overs) | B. Stokes (50), W. Jacks (41), Z. Crawley (44). Neser (5/42). |
| 2nd Innings | Australia | 69/2 (9.5 overs) | S. Smith (23*), J. Weatherald (17*). |
Result: Australia won by 8 wickets.
Series Status: Australia lead 2-0.
The Match Report: A Narrative of Dominance and Collapse
Day One: Root’s Masterclass and Starc’s Deadly Swing
The second Test, a crucial Day/Night encounter, began with England winning the toss and electing to bat, a decision that initially looked fraught as the Australian quicks, in the absence of Pat Cummins, roared in. Yet, on a Gabba surface offering encouragement, it was England’s captain and talisman, Joe Root, who delivered a performance of sheer class. This is an edit to a live article
Root shelved the ‘Bazball’ aggression for a stoic, technically immaculate innings, compiling a spectacular, unbeaten 138. It was an innings of immense mental fortitude, holding together a fragile English line-up. His partnership with Jofra Archer (38) for the 10th wicket dragged England’s total to a respectable 334. However, the sight of a left-arm swinger running through the English tail was a familiar, and ominous, one: Mitchell Starc was at his devastating best, finishing with an incredible 6/75, his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests and a devastating statement of intent for the series.
Day Two: The Green and Gold Run-Fest, Marred by Missed Chances
The second day belonged almost entirely to Australia’s batsmen, a relentless, high-octane display that saw them bat England’s tired bowlers out of the game. Led by an electric, maiden Test half-century from opener Jake Weatherald (72 from 78 balls) and an equally rapid Travis Head (33 from 43), Australia scored at a blistering pace, often exceeding five runs per over—a clear sign that they were determined to adopt an aggressive approach against an already flagging attack.
Weatherald’s dazzling innings, filled with powerful drives and uppercuts, set the tone for the middle order. Half-centuries followed for Marnus Labuschagne (65) and Steve Smith (61), the latter engaging in a memorable, fiery battle with Jofra Archer.
The turning point of the day, and arguably the Test, was not a spectacular catch or a brilliant delivery, but the sheer number of opportunities England let slip. The tourist’s fielding was atrocious, dropping a staggering five catches throughout the day. Ben Duckett and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith were the main culprits, allowing set Australian batsmen—including Alex Carey (reprieved on 1) and Travis Head (dropped on 3)—to pile on vital runs. These missed chances compounded the misery of a tired bowling unit, allowing Australia to finish the day at a commanding 378/6, already leading by 44 runs.
Day Three: Starc’s Batting Heroics and the Pink-Ball Collapse
The third day began with England desperately seeking early wickets, but they ran head-first into the unyielding wall of Mitchell Starc. Already a bowling hero, Starc became a batting thorn, compiling a magnificent 77 at number nine.
The Gabba’s Greatest Ninth-Wicket Stand
Starc, partnered initially by Alex Carey (63) and later by Scott Boland (21*), batted with the discipline and timing of a top-order player. His 75-run ninth-wicket stand with Boland was the highest for that wicket at the Gabba and crushed England’s spirit. He absorbed nearly three hours of bowling, striking 13 boundaries and ensuring Australia’s total swelled to an intimidating 511, providing a first-innings lead of 177 runs. The hours of toil on the field, coupled with Starc’s batting brilliance, left England’s quicks visibly exhausted, with Brydon Carse (4/152) bearing the brunt of the onslaught.
Twilight Trauma: England’s Horrific Hour
England’s second innings began with a glimmer of hope. Openers Zak Crawley (44) and Ben Duckett (15) put on a quick 48, successfully navigating Starc’s opening over for the first time in the series. But as the pink ball began to swing under the floodlights, the Australian bowlers—particularly the impressive inclusions, Scott Boland and hometown hero Michael Neser—cranked up the pressure, and the wheels fell off spectacularly.
The collapse was swift and brutal:
- Duckett was bowled by a shooter from Boland that clipped the bottom of his bat onto the stumps.
- Neser then delivered a sensational, double caught-and-bowled blow, removing first Ollie Pope (26) with a simple return catch, and then Zak Crawley (44), who couldn’t avoid the outstretched hand of the Queenslander.
- The Gabba erupted when the day’s hero, Starc, delivered the crucial blow, finding the outside edge of Joe Root (15).
- Scott Boland struck again, removing Harry Brook (15) the ball after a dubious caught-behind decision was overturned.
- Starc completed the evening’s massacre by finding Jamie Smith’s (4) outside edge.
In a frenzied spell of 18 overs, England lost five wickets for just 44 runs, reeling to 134/6 at stumps and still trailing by 43 runs. The mental scars from that twilight session will be deep and long-lasting for the tourists.
Day Four: The Stubborn Stand and Fiery Finish
England captain Ben Stokes (50) and all-rounder Will Jacks (41) walked out on Day Four to a chorus of cheers and jeers, with the simple mission of making Australia bat again. In a stark contrast to their previous aggression, the pair abandoned the ‘Bazball’ philosophy and dug in, batting for almost the entire first session. Their gutsy, 96-run partnership took England into the lead and hinted at the kind of fight the supporters craved. Stokes, in particular, was a monument of defiance, battling for nearly four hours for his half-century.
However, the stand was broken in spectacular fashion. Neser, bowling with relentless accuracy, found the edge of Jacks, and stand-in captain Steve Smith pouched a brilliant, diving, one-handed catch at second slip—a moment of individual genius that shattered England’s fragile resistance. Neser then quickly removed Stokes himself, who finally succumbed to a feather of an edge to the in-form Alex Carey behind the stumps.
The tail then wrapped quickly, with Michael Neser finishing with a superb career-best 5/42 on his home patch. England were all out for 241, setting Australia a mere target of 65 runs to win.
The short chase, conducted in the final session, was not without controversy. After Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne fell cheaply, Steve Smith (23 off 9 balls)* and Jake Weatherald (17* off 23) took centre stage. Smith, sensing the finish, engaged in a heated verbal exchange with Jofra Archer, who was bowling with hostility. The clash served only to fire Smith up, who responded by hooking Archer for a huge six before hitting the winning boundary, an imperious six square of the wicket, to seal the victory.
🏆 The Key Moments & Talking Points
1. The Starc All-Round Show
Mitchell Starc’s performance was the undisputed difference-maker. His 6/75 in the first innings was superb, but his crucial 77 with the bat to stretch the lead past 175 was a match-winning contribution. The Gabba crowd will remember his relentless boundary hitting in that ninth-wicket stand for years to come.
2. England’s Five Catches That Cost the Test
Cricket is a game of fine margins, and England were undone by their own hands. Dropping five catches on Day Two allowed Australia to inflate their first innings lead from a manageable target to a commanding 177-run mountain. The lapses in the field exposed a deep-seated fragility in the touring side’s mental game.
3. Neser’s Homecoming Heroics
In a surprise selection ahead of Nathan Lyon, local Queenslander Michael Neser seized his opportunity with both hands. His sharp, low return catches to dismiss Pope and Crawley triggered the infamous Day Three collapse, and his Day Four spell, which accounted for both Stokes and Jacks, was decisive. His 5/42 in the second innings was a performance Pat Cummins will find very hard to overlook for the next Test.
4. The Final Firestorm
The verbal sparring between Smith and Archer in the final over, culminating in the stand-in captain’s match-winning six, provided a thrilling, fiery full-stop to the Gabba contest. It confirmed Australia’s dominance and added another chapter to the tense narrative of this high-stakes series.
🔮 Looking Ahead
Australia’s eight-wicket victory places them in an almost unassailable position, leading the five-Test series 2-0. No team has ever come back from this deficit to win an Ashes series in Australia since Don Bradman’s side in 1936-37.
For England, the questions surrounding their “Bazball” technique in tough Australian conditions, their fielders’ temperament, and their ability to convert starts into match-winning contributions are now deafening. They head to Adelaide for the Third Test, another Day/Night contest, knowing only a miracle can save the Urn. Australia, with the likely return of Captain Cummins and the off-spin of Nathan Lyon, look simply too strong.
Will England find the belief to fight back in Adelaide, or will Australia’s unstoppable momentum carry them to an early series victory?
