Preview: Australia vs England - fourth Ashes test prediction, squads, series so far, start time, MCG pitch lowdown

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Fourth Ashes test: Australia vs England - prediction, squads, start time, pitch
© Imago / IMAGO / AAP

After retaining the Ashes, Australia will now be looking to complete a series whitewash in the final two Tests against England.

Meanwhile, the tourists will only have pride to play for when they take to the field for the first day of the Boxing Day Test at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Boxing Day test preview

England have already failed in their quest to reclaim the Ashes after losing a highly anticipated series inside 11 days of action.

The tourists lost both of the opening two Tests in Perth and Brisbane by eight wickets before they made their way to Adelaide - via a hotly-debated break in Noosa - for the must-win third Test.
 
Ben Stokes's side fell 85 runs short of Australia's first innings total and then were set a mammoth 435 target to keep the series alive.
 
England battled to their highest total of the series, but they ultimately ran out of wickets as they slumped to an 82-run defeat that ensured that Australia retained the urn that has been in their possession since 2017-18.
 
The quick nature of England's series defeat has led to questions being asked about the 'Bazball' philosophy and the positions of key individuals in the setup, including that of the coach Brendon McCullum and England men's cricket managing director Rob Key. 
 
Ben Stokes wants to continue in his role as captain, and while that decision may be out of his hands, his case will be stronger if England can pick up positive results in the final two Tests.
 
While the Ashes may be out of reach, England will still be keen to end their 18-match winless run in away Tests against Australia.
 
Considering their historic struggles in Australia, England's record at the MCG is not too dispiriting, having won 20 and drawn eight of their 57 Tests at the venue. 
© Imago / AAP
 
From Australia's perspective, this series could not have gone any better, having secured possession of the little urn for at least another two years.
 
There were plenty of talks about Australia's ageing squad ahead of the series, but they have ultimately risen to the challenge even without some key players at different stages of the first three Tests.
 
Travis Head has led the way with the bat, giving England a lesson on how to bat aggressively while still playing intelligent cricket. 
 
Head leads the series' run scoring chart with a return of 379 at an average of 63.16, while Mitchell Starc has been the pick of Australia's bowlers with 22 wickets to his name.
 
The hosts will now be looking to hand out further punishment to England by winning the final two games to complete an Ashes series whitewash for the first time since Michael Clarke's charges achieved the feat in 2013-14.
 
Australia will take confidence from the fact that they have won the Boxing Day Test in each of the past four years, including a 184-run victory over India last December. 
 
Scott Boland will have fond memories of the last Ashes Test at the MCG in 2021-22, when he produced a sensational spell to take six wickets for just seven runs on his Test debut. 

Squad News

© Imago / IMAGO / AAP
 

Australia's premium spinner, Nathan Lyon, will miss the rest of the series after sustaining a hamstring injury while fielding in England's second innings of the third Test.

Pat Cummins, who sat out the first two Tests, recovered from a back problem to take wickets in Adelaide, but with the Ashes secured, he will not be risked for the final two games of the series.

Cummins will hand over the captaincy to Steve Smith, who comes back into the team after missing the third Test due to illness. 

Australia have decided to cut Todd Murphy, Beau Webster and Josh Inglis from their initial squad, leaving them to pick two bowlers from Jhye Richardson, Michael Neser and Brendan Doggett. 

As for England, they have already confirmed their XI and have decided to make a couple of changes to their lineup.

Former vice-captain Ollie Pope has been dropped after averaging just under 21 across the opening three Tests. 

Jacob Bethell takes over Pope's number three spot to make his first appearance of the series, while Gus Atkinson replaces the injured Jofra Archer in the bowling ranks.

Archer has been ruled out of the final two matches due to a side strain, with a decision over his availability for the T20 World Cup set to be made at a later date. 

Australia squad:

Steve Smith (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald

England team:

Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook (vice-captain), Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue

Series so far

First Test (Perth) - Australia won by eight wickets

England - 172 & 164

Australia - 132 & 205/2

Second Test (Brisbane) - Australia won by eight wickets

England - 334 & 241

Australia - 511 & 69/2

Third Test (Adelaide) - Australia won by 82 runs

Australia - 371 & 349

England - 286 & 352

When will the fourth Ashes Test start?

The fourth Test will start at 10:30am on Boxing Day local time. For UK viewers, the first ball will be bowled at 11:30pm on Christmas Day. 

MCG pitch update

Melbourne Cricket Club head curator Matt Page is aiming to produce a pitch similar to the one that made for an entertaining game between Australia and India in last year's Boxing Day Test.

On that occasion, Australia bowled out India for 155 on day five to claim a 184-run victory and go 2-1 up in the series. 

There is expected to be plenty in the pitch to favour seamers, with the current MCG surface a world away from the batter-friendly pitch that saw Alistair Cook score 244 not out in 2017. 

 

 

We say: Australia to win

In theory, England's victory should be boosted by the news that Cummins and Lyon will not be available for the hosts.

However, Australia have already proven in the series that they have other players that can step up in the absence of key individuals, and with momentum in their favour, we think the Aussies will beat England to move to the brink of a series whitewash.

 

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