Australia crush England 4-1 in Ashes 2025-26: Starc's 31-wicket masterclass seals dominance - A recap - Sports News

Australia beat England 4-1 in the Ashes series 2025-26, winning the final Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) by 5 wickets. While England had arrived hoping that it could put on a better fight, eventually they go back home with only a solitary win against their name. Mitchell Starc clinched the Player of the Series recognition with 31 wickets in 5 matches, averaging 19.94.

Ashes 2025-26: A quick series recap

Match 1: Australia win the series opener

Australia beat England by 8 wickets in the first Test of the series in Perth. England had opted to bat after winning the toss. However, they only managed to post 172 in the first innings with Harry Brook scoring 52 off 61 and Ollie Pope chipping in with 46 runs. Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith scored 33 runs. It was Mitchell Starc who set the tone for the remainder of the series with a sensational 7-wicket haul

Australia seemingly lost the plot when their batting collapsed for 132. Alex Carey’s 26 was the highest individual score. Travis Head and Cameron Green scored 21 and 24 respectively but nothing that could threaten England. Ben Stokes bowled a memorable spell finishing with 5 wickets for 23 runs. Brydon Carse picked 3 wickets while Jofra Archer got two batters out.

By this time, it was clear that it wasn’t the best of wickets to bat on and any chase in excess of 200 might be tricky. England just about breached that mark, setting Australia a target of 205 runs, when they got bowled out for 164 in the second innings. Gus Atkinson’s 37 was the highest individual contribution, Ollie Pope scored 33. Scott Boland’s 4 wickets for 33 runs stood out while Strarc and Brendan Doggett picked 3 wickets each.

Match 2: Hosts win Day-Night Test

England opted to bat again in the pink-ball Test in Brisbane. This time they put on a better effort, scoring 334. The highlight was Joe Root scoring his first hundred on Australian shores. He remained unbeaten on 138. Zak Crawley scored 76. Jofra Archer chipped in with 38. Starc again was the pick of the bowlers for Australia, picking 6 wickets for 75 runs.

However, Australia took a massive first innings lead. They posted 511, outscoring England’s first innings total by 177 runs. It was a proper team effort with no batter scoring a century yet Aussies managed a formidable total.

Starc scored 77 runs with the bat after his bowling heroics. Jake Weatherald made 72. Marnus Labuschagne chipped in with 65, Alex Carey too scored 63 while Steven Smith, leading the team, scored 61. Carse removed 4 opposition batters while Stokes dismissed 3.

England could only post 241 runs in their second innings. Stokes scored a half-century. Zak Crawley made 44 while Will Jacks scored 41 runs with no meaningful contribution from any other batter. Michael Neser was the wrecker-in-chief for Australia, picking 5 wickets for 42 runs. Starc and Boland picked two wickets apiece.

Australia needed 65 runs to win, they ended up scoring 69 runs in 10 overs. Smith remained unbeaten on 23 off 9. They only lost 2 wickets and earned a dominant win.

Player of the Match: Mitchell Starc (6/75, 77 & 2/64)

Match 3: Aussies take unassailable lead in Adelaide

In the third Test match in Adelaide, it was Australia who won the toss, choosing to bat first. Australia made 371 in the first innings. Alex Carey rose up to the occasion, scoring 106. Usman Khawaja made a gritty 82. Starc showed that his batting contribution in the previous Test wasn’t a fluke, he scored 54. For England, Jofra Archer scalped 5 wickets for 53 runs. Carse and Will Jacks picked 2 wickets each.

England managed 286 runs in their first innings. Stokes top-scored with 83. Brook made 45, Archer scored a half-century but could not take England past Australia’s first innings score. Cummins and Boland picked 3 wickets each while Lyon produced 2 wickets.

The hosts responded with 349 in the 2nd innings. Head scored 170 himself. Carey made 72. Josh Tongue got 4 wickets for England, Carse got 3 wickets but Australia managed a 435-run target for the English side, chasing which they managed to post 352 runs, losing by 82 runs. Zak Crawley top-scored with 85, Jamie Smith made 60 while Jacks amassed 47 runs but the series was now gone.

Player of the Match: Alex Carey (106, 72 & 6 catches)

Match 4: England win a two-day Boxing Day Test

England opened their account in the series. They won by 4 wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. England chose to bowl and dismissed the opposition for 152. Tongue produced a five-wicket haul, picking 5 wickets for 45 runs. Gus Atkinson picked 2 wickets. Neser contributed 35 runs for Australia.

But it was Neser’s spell with the ball 4 wickets for 45 runs that dismissed England for 110 and at the end of Day 1 it felt like the Three Lions had lost another Test but they bowled Australia out for 132 in the second innings despite Travis Head’s 46. Carse picked 4 wickets, Stokes 3 and Tongue got 2 in the second.

In the final innings, chasing 175 to win, Duckett and Crawley put on a 50-run stand. Jacob Bethell made 40 runs. Harry Brook and Jamie Smith were then when England tasted a historic win, their first of the series.

Player of the Match: Josh Tongue (5/45 & 2/44)

Match 5: Australia complete series domination with win in Sydney

England chose to bat first in Sydney. They posted 384 runs. Root smashed 160 runs. Brook made 84. Neser was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets for 60 runs. Starc and Boland picked 2 wickets each.

But Australia responded with 567 with Head again scoring a hundred, 163 off 166 balls. Smith scored a hundred too, 138 off 220 deliveries while Beau Webster scored an unbeaten 71 off 87 balls. Carse and Tongue picked 3 wickets each while Stokes got 2.

England managed 342 runs in the second innings with Bethell scoring 154. Starc and Webster contributed with 3 wickets. Boland picked 2 wickets. Australia chasing 160, got to 161, 5 wickets down in 31.2 overs, wrapping up the series 4-1.