CA faces a massive financial loss (Source: @cricketangon/x.com)
After a long wait, the Ashes returned with promises of chaos and classic drama, reigniting Test cricket’s biggest rivalry. Four Test matches have been wrapped up, and not a single match lasted for five days.
The last MCG Test was a stunner as the match ended in just two days, just as the first Test match in Perth. With Tests wrapping up at lightning speed, Cricket Australia faced heavy financial losses as the fallout begins.
Cricket Australia braces for heavy financial fallout
Whenever England and Australia lock horns, the match becomes a thrill-filled affair, and if that encounter comes in the longest format, excitement touches the sky. Last month, when the Ashes returned, the cricket world expected five marathon days of red-ball thrills, but the ongoing season turned out to be something else.
After three Tests fell short of the fifth day, fans pinned their hopes on the Melbourne clash, only to be crushed again. Within just two days, the match wrapped up, leaving fans heartbroken. But it's just not the fans, as Cricket Australia is set to face a massive financial blow.
In the first two days, the Melbourne Cricket Ground marked record attendance as the fans showed up in great numbers. The third day of the match was already sold out, but the match wrapped up within just two days. Due to this, Cricket Australia is set to suffer a staggering £5 million loss, which is roughly 60.6 crore. That has been a massive setback for the side.
England finally breaks their year-long Aussie curse
For decades, winning on Australian soil was just a dream for England, but Melbourne finally became the stage where it came alive. Entering the fourth Test match with three heartbreaking defeats, Ben Stokes and Co. finally flipped the script. While bowling first, England restricted Australia to just 152 runs, and Josh Tongue’s bowling brilliance remained the fuel behind it.
Even after facing massive blows while batting in the first innings, England made a triumphant return in the second innings. The MCG pitch turned into pacers’ paradise, as England’s bowlers dominated, keeping Australia to a modest total and leaving themselves just 175 runs away from a historic win.
After Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett stitched a solid opening partnership, the young batter Jacob Bethell played a crucial role, stitching a crucial partnership with Crawley and Joe Root. Guiding England home, they sealed a thrilling four-wicket victory, marking their first win in the ongoing Ashes.
