Australia crushed England by eight wickets in the second Test of the Ashes 2025 at the Gabba in Brisbane. It was a collective effort by almost every Australian player in the second innings that helped Australia take a decisive lead. When Australia came out to bowl in the third innings, Michael Neser (5/42 in 16.2 overs), along with Scott Boland (2/47 in 17 overs), demolished England’s batting line-up.

While chasing a small target of 65, Australia raced to 69/2 in just 10 overs in the fourth innings on Day 4. Mitchell Starc, who took six wickets in the first innings, then two wickets in the third, and also made a superb half-century in the first innings, was declared Man of the Match. With this victory, Australia took a 2-0 lead in the series.

Stokes and Jacks Show Resistance

At the start of Day 4, England stood at 134 for 6, still 43 runs behind Australia. The situation looked desperate. However, Ben Stokes and Will Jacks fought back bravely.

They dug in for a 96-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Their stand lasted nearly 37 overs, slowing Australia's progress and giving England a brief sense of hope.

Stokes played cautiously and survived Australia’s fierce attack from the night before. Conditions became easier during the day, with little swing in the air. He slowly reached 12 from 50 balls before producing a superb cover drive off Brendan Doggett. At one point, Stokes stepped away expecting a bouncer and smashed the ball like a forehand shot, forcing Doggett to chase it down himself.

Despite their efforts, England’s scoring rate was painfully slow. The 50-run stand between Stokes and Jacks came up at 2.45 runs per over, the slowest among the 164 partnerships of 50+ during the Bazball era. The crowd, including the Barmy Army, gave a standing ovation. For the first time in the series, a full session passed without a wicket falling.

Brilliant Fielding Breaks England’s Backbone

Then, Australia struck back with stunning fielding. Steven Smith pulled off a brilliant low one-handed catch to remove Jacks after his 92-ball struggle. Soon after, Alex Carey caught Stokes at the stumps following a thick edge.

Any remaining hope faded as Stokes walked off after scoring 50 from 152 balls. His body language showed how much the moment hurt. Soon, England collapsed again. They lost their last four wickets for just 17 runs.

Neser completed a memorable performance by dismissing Brydon Carse and claiming his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Australia Finish the Job in Style

Chasing only 65 runs to win, Travis Head attacked immediately. Australia raced to 33 without loss in just five overs. Play paused for dinner as storm clouds appeared over Brisbane.

After the break, Head was dismissed by Gus Atkinson. Marnus Labuschagne followed soon after. Suddenly, tension rose when Smith and Jofra Archer exchanged heated words.

But Smith responded brilliantly. He smashed a 150 kph bouncer from Archer for six and then sealed the win with another huge hit over deep square leg. Smith ended the match with 23 not out from just nine balls.

Brief Scorecard