The Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium (MCG) turned into a statistical embarrassment. Australiawith the hosts recording one of the worst collective batting performances in over a century of Test cricket. Australia managed to score only 152 and 132 on a pitch that was very difficult to bat on. EnglandIt produces the third lowest compliance aggregate since 2000.
Between two shots, Australia batted for just 79.5 oversIt is the fewest they have faced in a Test match since 1928 and the third lowest number of balls they have faced since 1900. The figures highlight how thoroughly the surface exposed their batting weaknesses in a match that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons from Australia’s perspective.
Australia face England for just 479 balls in the Boxing Day Test
Australia were dismissed for just 479 deliveries in both innings, a remarkable statistic given the venue and occasion. The hosts batted for 45.2 overs in the first innings and 34.3 overs in the second, offering little resistance as wickets fell in bunches.
Note that the only time Australia faced fewer balls in a Test match at the MCG was against England in 1904. That historic collapse saw Australia survive just 360 balls and now – 121 years later – history has repeated itself at the same venue.
While Australia’s batting struggles grabbed attention, the pitch itself became the main talking point. From the early action to the unexpected bounce, the surface offered minimal respite for the batters, turning the contest into a test of survival rather than the usual Boxing Day spectacle.
The Australian squad’s inability to adapt compounded the damage. Against a disciplined bowling attack, errors were punished mercilessly, with the hosts unable to form partnerships or settle at the crease.
The last time Australia faced a lesser supply was in 1928 at The Gabba in a Test match when they were bowled out for just 457 balls in two innings. That collapse has long been a benchmark of batting failure, but the 2025 Boxing Day Test is now tantalizingly close in the record books.
The figures put the MCG match among Australia’s worst since the early 20th century, a sobering comparison for a team used to dominating at home.
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Fewest balls faced by Australia in a Test match since 1900
- 360 balls against England, Melbourne Cricket Ground, 1904
- 457 balls v England, The Gabba, 1928
- 464 balls v England, The Oval, 1912
- 479 balls v England, Melbourne Cricket Stadium, 2025
- 499 balls v West Indies, Queen’s Park Oval, 1995
England’s repeat in four out of five innings adds to the historic tenacity for Australian fans.
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