Ashes 2025-26: England’s bowlers get their lengths right as Josh Tongue takes 5-50 during Australia collapse

There was an element of luck in the beginning. Travis Head was dragged to Gus Atkinson and Jake Weatherald was smothered leg side by Josh Tongue.

But then the latter’s knack for stealing wickets came to the fore as he bagged two of Australia’s stubborn top orders.

Marnus Labuschagne took a full toss from Tongue at an angle to the stumps and started at slip before the same bowler trapped Steve Smith with a pinching delivery to bowl out the wicket.

Michael Neser and Scott Boland followed Tongue on back-to-back shots; He was respectively hit by a pinch-hitter and caught at second slip.

CricViz’s stats showed Tongue finishing 5-21 from 24 shots in the area of ​​the course classified as occupied (3-6m).

In the ball-tracking era, only one English seamer (before today’s Tongue) had taken five full-length wickets in a Test innings.

This was a memorable effort from Stuart Broad at Trent Bridge in 2015.

Tongue speed dropped from an average of 86.7 mph in Adelaide to 85.3 mph in Melbourne. This looked and felt more like ‘Redditch Rhythmist’ than ‘Redditch Rocket’.

“It was a pressure situation really: good sustained pressure and Australia couldn’t escape. England performed as well as Australia did on that very hot day in Adelaide,” Tufnell added.

“Instead of digging in the grooves, you can get behind the bowling unit and clap for them. “We have bowled very short in all the series so far but this was a good performance.

“There were a few loads, a few clouds too, but they put it in good places. I’m very pleased with Josh Tongue, he was picked without a doubt. It was excellent bowling.”

England bowled full and by the time their bowlers put their feet up in the air between innings their cups – whatever the tip – must have been just over half full.

Even if their time is shorter than they would like.