The Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium (MCG) has become an embarrassment for the statistics AustraliaThe hosts recorded one of their worst collective batting performances in over a century of Test cricket. On a pitch that proved extremely difficult to bat on, Australia could only score 152 and 132. EnglandHis third lowest match total output since 2000.
In both innings, Australia batted for only 79.5 oversThe lowest number of balls he faced in a Test match since 1928 and the third lowest number of balls faced since 1900. The figures underline how well the surface exposed batting weaknesses in a match that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons from an Australian perspective.
Australia faced only 479 balls against England in the Boxing Day Test.
Australia were out after facing only 479 balls in both innings, a remarkable figure considering the venue and occasion. The hosts batted for 45.2 overs in the first innings and 34.3 overs in the second innings, but offered little resistance as wickets fell.
Notably, the first time Australia faced fewer balls in a Test match at the MCG was against England in 1904. That historic collapse saw Australia survive only 360 balls, and now – 121 years later – history has repeated itself on the same ground.
While Australia’s batting struggles will be the subject of scrutiny, the pitch itself has become a major talking point. From early movement to unpredictable bounce, the surface offered minimal respite to the batsmen, turning the contest into a test of survival rather than a traditional Boxing Day spectacle.
However, Australia’s line-up’s inability to adapt compounded the damage. Against a disciplined bowling attack, mistakes were punished mercilessly, with the hosts unable to build partnerships or hold on to the crease.
The last time Australia faced fewer balls in a Test match was at The Gabba in 1928, when they lasted only 457 balls in two innings. That collapse has long stood as the standard for batting failure, but the 2025 Boxing Day Test is now worryingly close in the record books.
The statistics place the MCG match among Australia’s worst matches since the turn of the 20th century, a sobering comparison for a team accustomed to dominance on home soil.
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Fewest balls faced by Australia in a Test match since 1900
- 360 balls vs England, Melbourne Cricket Stadium, 1904
- 457 balls vs England, The Gabba, 1928
- 464 balls vs England, The Oval, 1912
- 479 balls vs England, Melbourne Cricket Stadium, 2025
- 499 balls vs West Indies, Queens Park Oval, 1995
England’s repetition in four of the five entries further increases the historical sting for Australian fans.
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