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The day England roared last! Relive their thunderous triumph at the Gabba in 1986

Poulomi Chakraborty

England's historic win at Gabba (Source: @ICC/x.com)England's historic win at Gabba (Source: @ICC/x.com)

Two nations, one urn, sky-high thrills, nerve-wracking moments, and a whole lot of red ball drama, that is the most appropriate description of the Ashes. The ultimate battle between arch-rivals England and Australia has delivered unforgettable moments and fierce rivalries.

Starting the Ashes 2025 with a setback, England is now looking forward to the next match at the Gabba. Australia’s fortress in Brisbane has always been impenetrable, and England’s past there is nothing short of nightmarish.

In recent years, they battled fiercely at the iconic Gabba but left empty-handed. Let’s have a look back at England’s last win at the Gabba.

At the Gabba, only Australia has the final word

In cricket, there is nothing like constant, but as the sport always loves breaking down the barriers, there are some exceptions. While every format entertains, Test cricket delivers its own high-octane thrills, and no rivalry is bigger than the iconic Ashes. Fans live for the heart-stopping battles between England and Australia.

From the dawn of cricket, Australia has flexed its power, but its greatest weapon isn’t a player; it’s a fortress. Gabba, the ground has always been an added advantage to Australia as the opponent faced some forgettable outings.

Some teams have dared to breach Australia’s fortress, but the Ashes tells a completely different story. Facing their arch-rivals, the Aussies held their grip tight as, after 1986, the English side is still finding a victory at the iconic venue.

England’s last Gabba triumph feels like a forgotten fairytale

Since the birth of the Ashes, the historic Test series has spread some unreal thrills as the entire cricket world enjoyed unreal thrills. Yet amid all the iconic venues, one battleground has refused to bow to England, the mighty Gabba. In that year, England thrived in the venue, and from then on, the venue has been a curse for the English side.

Back in 1986, the arch-rivals faced each other in the Ashes opener at Brisbane, and the world witnessed a drama. England stormed in with a batting masterclass, led by Ian Botham’s jaw-dropping 138, backed by Athey, Gatting, and Gower firing in style. With those, they put on a massive total of 456 runs.

With England’s ruthless batting, the Aussies were already behind on their own home soil, and the English bowlers made it more difficult with their bowling display. Graham Dilley’s fifer, backed by a ruthless bowling pack, crushed the hosts and pinned them down to a mere 248 on their own turf.

Trailing by 208 runs, Australia was forced to follow on, and Geoff Marsh dazzled with an outstanding century. But the other batters crumbled against the English bowling attack, as John Emburey shone with a magical fifer. After Australia ended their innings on 282 runs, England were just 75 runs away from a stunning victory.

As the rivals came to chase down the total, the Aussie bowlers didn’t let them secure the victory easily as Merv Hughes and Bruce Reid made some crucial scalps. England stormed past the target with ease, sealing a commanding 7-wicket win and silencing the Gabba crowd.

England enjoyed the success in Gabba, without realising that it had come as a curse to them. Since then, a victory at the Gabba has remained a dream for them. As the Ashes roll on, one question burns hotter than the Brisbane sun; can England rewrite the script, or will the Gabba remain a graveyard they can only admire from memory?