It was carnage out in the middle of the MCG on Boxing Day, but what took place in the stands also raised eyebrows.

England fought back to claim six wickets as Australia staggered to 98-6 in its second innings at lunch on Day 2 of the fourth Ashes test on Saturday. Australia holds an overall lead of 140 after running through England for 110 in a dramatic first day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Cricket Australia chief Todd Greenberg said Saturday that short Tests were bad for business as some of the biggest names in the game attacked the state of the Melbourne Cricket Ground pitch.

Australia were 98 for six in their second innings at lunch on day two of the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday, having extended their lead over England to 140 runs.* Australia lost six wickets ‌in the session for 94 runs after ‌resuming on four for no loss.

It was the perfect resurrection for Labuschagne, who was dropped for the country’s three-Test series in the West Indies this winter after a continued run of poor form. His last Test century came 888 days ago in July of 2023 during the fourth Ashes Test at Manchester, having batted 37 times against the red-ball at international level since.

Alex Carey has posted a hometown hundred and Usman Khawaja has scored 82 after a last-minute recall to help Australia reach 326 for eight at stumps on the first day of the third Ashes test.

Boxing Day, celebrated on December 26, holds major sporting significance, especially in Australia, where the iconic MCG Test has become a long-standing cricket tradition., Cricket, Times Now

When Brett Lee fronts Melbourne’s iconic Corner Hotel on Sunday night, expect the Aussie great and his mates with Six & Out to cover a classic or two from their old mate Doc Neeson.

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