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England pace hero Josh Tongue admits having retirement thoughts ahead of The Ashes

Soumyajit Dutta

Josh Tongue [Source: @ABsay_ek/X]Josh Tongue [Source: @ABsay_ek/X]

With much discussion around the MCG pitch after the fourth Ashes Test ended early, one of the seamers on the pitch, England’s Josh Tongue, made a stunning revelation about his career in cricket.

Tongue admitted that he had considered retiring from the game after injuries kept him away from cricket for a long period. However, he also shared that he is now happy he persevered and managed to return to the side with a strong performance.

Josh Tongue happy to return to cricket with a bang

Josh Tongue, who claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the fourth Test and a four-fer in the second innings of the third Test at Adelaide, spoke about how he felt after picking up the five-for and receiving the Player of the Match award as England won the MCG Test by four wickets.

"It's what dreams are made of. Obviously waking up on Boxing Day, there were a few nerves. But to get a 'fifer' and get my name on the honours board, it's a really special feeling," Tongue said.

Tongue reveals reasons behind having retirement thoughts

Tongue has battled thoracic outlet syndrome earlier in his career and also suffered a right pectoral muscle strain in 2023, along with hamstring injuries.

He returned to full fitness at the beginning of 2025, which allowed him to make his comeback to the national team. He missed the first two Tests in Australia but replaced Gus Atkinson in the third Test as he elaborated on his long journey back to the sport.

"I'm 100% glad I stuck with the sport. I was in a tough situation with my body and stuff. I was potentially retiring, but I'm glad that I put in the hard work to get myself back playing cricket and now playing for England. It's what I've always wanted to do," Tongue added.

Nevertheless, Tongue’s spell played a crucial role in helping England secure their first Test victory in Australia in 15 years.

Although Australia lead and has already won the Ashes 2025–26 series, England will once again aim for a win in the fifth Test after avoiding a complete whitewash Down Under.