Heading into the fourth Ashes 2025/26 Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), starting on the Boxing Day Test, England have suffered a massive setback as their premier pacer, Jofra Archer, has been ruled out of the final Tests with a side strain. He took six wickets in Australia’s 82-run win in Adelaide.

Jofra Archer will be replaced by Gus Atkinson for the MCG contest, with Jacob Bethell coming in for Ollie Pope at number three in England’s other change. Archer made his red-ball comeback in July after more than four years away from the format due to elbow and back injuries. Besides his nine wickets, he has also contributed vital lower-order runs.

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Archer was sent for a scan on December 23 after a limited workload in the second innings of the Adelaide Test. He will return to the UK and will get assessed next week. At this stage, he seems to be available for the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka.

England make two changes for 4th Ashes 2025/26 Test

Atkinson returns to the side after missing the Adelaide Test and is now set to share the new ball with Brydon Carse as Shoaib Bashir continues to warm the benches despite Stokes calling him the number one spinner of the national side. Will Jacks keeps his place at number eight as a spin-bowling all-rounder, with Josh Tongue retaining his place after five wickets in Adelaide.

Pope, who is yet to score a fifty against Australia across 16 innings, has been dropped, having managed only 125 runs in six innings at an average of 20.83 in this series. Jacob Bethell will feature in his fifth Test on Boxing Day.

Ben Duckett, meanwhile, retained his place despite his failure to reach 30 in the first innings of the Ashes series. ECB has already started an investigation into his drunk video that has gone viral on social media platforms.

England’s playing XI for 4th Ashes 2025/26 Test

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

As the visitors England have already lost the Ashes 2025-26, where the hosts Australia are leading the five-match series by 3-0 with two to go, England made two changes in the playing XI for the upcoming fourth Test, the Boxing Day Test  at Melbourne. 

England have completely failed in the Ashes 2025-26, while they had the expectation to produce one of their best performances on Australian soil. After losing the first two Tests by eight wickets each, they suffered an 82-run defeat in their last Test. Although they had some momentum on this tour, their indisciplined performances affected them hugely. 

It is time for some redemption despite already losing the series. While a 4-0 or 5-0 series status will make them really poor, England are desperate to find a better status by producing some quality performances in the last two Tests on the tour. 

The Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne is ready for the 2025 Boxing Day Test. While the match will begin on December 26, Boxing Day, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has announced the squad for the upcoming Melbourne Test on December 24.

England's change for Melbourne Test: Gus Atkinson replaced injured Jofra Archer

There are two changes for England for the upcoming Boxing Day Test, including one forced change. While Jofra Archer has been ruled out from remainder of the tour due to a left side strain, Gus Atkinson is set to replace Archer. Atkinson was dropped from the third Test at Adelaide due to mostly ineffective performances in the first two Tests of this tour. While he remained wicketless in the series opener at Perth, he got three wickets in the day/night pink-ball Test at Brisbane. 

See Also: ECB to investigate England team’s Noosa break ahead of 4th Ashes 2025/26 Test

England's change for Melbourne Test: Jacob Bethell replaced out of form Ollie Pope

Meanwhile, the 22-year-old Jacob Bethell is set to replace the no.3 batter Ollie Pope. In this tour, Pope's scores were 46, 33, 0, 26, 3, and 17 runs, respectively. 

The batting all-rounder Jacob Bethell has played four Tests, where he has scored 271 runs with an average of 38.71, including three half-centuries, and also picked up three wickets. During India's tour of England in 2025, Bethell featured in the last Test, which was his only Test this year before the forthcoming Boxing Day Test. 

England's playing XI for the Boxing Day Test in the Ashes 2025-26

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

Before the start of the Ashes 2025/26, there were lots of speculations on how Steve Smith would face the premier England pacer, Jofra Archer, in the five-match series. The Australian captain revealed that even though he got hit by the short ball of the Barbados pacer during the 2019 Ashes, the latter wasn’t able to dismiss the New South Wales batter.

The fire burnt on the ninth over of the fourth innings between the batter and the bowler. The first ball was on a short length delivery as Steve Smith went on the back foot and pulled it meatily through the mid-wicket region as it raced away for a fine boundary. Two balls later, Smith was rushed for pace as the top edge went over the keeper for a four.

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The fourth ball from the batter was whipped over the fine-leg fence over the fielder’s head for a massive six. He was quick on the pace and perhaps premeditated the length of the delivery. “You bowl first only when it’s over, champion,” said Smith to Archer as he strides to the batter on his follow-through.

Watch: Steve Smith’s heated altercation in batting against Jofra Archer 

In the first innings, England posted 334 runs on the board, thanks to the fine unbeaten century of Joe Root, while Zak Crawley clubbed 76 runs. Mitchell Starc notched up figures of 6/75 in 20 overs. In reply, the hosts took a massive lead of 170+ runs with the help of five half-centuries from their line-up.

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“It stays on the field (smiles). Nah, good banter. He's a good competitor; he comes harder, so it was good fun. Yeah, it was good (Test match). I thought the boys played exceptionally well. Our first innings batting, the tail I thought was unbelievable, they were able to extend. I think the bottom four batted for 53 overs or something like that, so it allowed us to get into the dark last night.” Smith said in the post-match presentation.

Most of England's batters got starts in the third innings, but apart from Stokes’ 50, no one was able to take it to that spot as they set a small target of 65 runs, as the home side completed the chase by eight wickets to take a 2-0 lead.

Australia bowled only 74 overs on the opening day of the second day-night Ashes 2025/26 Test at the Gabba in Brisbane. They needed to dismiss the England side under 80 overs to dodge the over-rate penalty. Jofra Archer and Joe Root’s record partnership for the tenth wicket seemed to take the game away from the home side. 

Jofra Archer looked in fabulous yet aggressive mode with the bat in hand. He leaned forward for a sweet drive through the covers for a boundary against Mitchell Starc. It was a great shot played with a brilliant high-elbow that went much squarer than the cover. Australia looked a bit stunned. They needed something special, and Marnus Labuschagne provided them with the same.

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Archer pulled the short ball from Brendan Doggett into the deep backward square leg, where Labuschagne went with two hands and managed to pluck it just inches off the ground with his right hand to dismiss the right-handed batter for 38 runs as the visitors were dismissed for 334 runs in the first innings.

Watch: Marnus Labuschagne shows great fielding to dismiss Jofra Archer during Ashes 2025/26 Test

England’s 334 runs became the second-highest score against Australia in the history of the day-night Test, just behind the 450 by Pakistan at the same ground in 2016. Joe Root remained unbeaten on 138 runs, having celebrated his maiden Test century down under. It also became the highest individual score by any batter against the Aussies in a day-night Test.

ONE OF THE ALL-TIME SCREAMERS FROM MARNUS LABUSCHAGNE!#Ashes | #PlayoftheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/nF2AkvCDtZ

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 5, 2025

Australia went off to a flying start with 77 runs in just 13 overs. Travis Head nailed a fine knock of 33 runs in 43 balls at a strike rate of 76.74 with the help of three boundaries and one six, while Jake Weatherhald creamed 40 runs unbeaten in 36 balls at a strike rate of 111.11.

England were finally able to draw the first blood when Brydon Carse dismissed Head, who again went for a big shot, with Gus Atkinson grabbing a fine catch before the 22-yard line. That was a golden chance for the visitors to get back into the contest. They had a lead of only 257 runs by then.

England’s fast bowling group is excited to play in Australian conditions. Jofra Archer is in a “happy place" and full of confidence, while Mark Wood is “full of energy." Brydon Carse, one of the six pace bowlers in the touring squad fighting for a place in the XI for the first Test in Perth on Friday, shared his thoughts. The other bowlers are Gus Atkinson, Matthew Potts, and Josh Tongue.

“Look, it’s exciting," South African-born Carse said after England’s only warm-up match against the England Lions ended on Saturday. “We have a group of six bowlers who are ready for any plan we choose, and we are enjoying these conditions."

“I think we have a group of six bowlers who, no matter what plan we choose, will enjoy these conditions." He added.

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Archer Confident; Wood Full of Energy

England has not yet decided whether to use a full pace attack at Perth Stadium, known for its fast and bouncy pitch, or include a spinner. In the three-day warm-up match, specialist spinner Shoaib Bashir played for the Lions, while part-time spinner Joe Root bowled 14.5 overs to reduce the load on the main fast bowlers.

Jofra Archer, who has dealt with four years of fitness problems, is likely to be picked after finishing the warm-up without any issues. Mark Wood, who felt some hamstring stiffness on day one, has been cleared and has no major injury.

Carse said Archer is confident before the series and is feeling good both physically and mentally. He praised Archer’s X-factor, which he has shown around the world, making his place in the lineup very exciting.

“He’s really confident going into the series. I think he’s in a happy place with his body and his cricket," Carse said about Archer.

“It’s great to have him fully fit and with the group. He has that X-factor, and he has shown it worldwide. It’s very exciting to have him in our bowling lineup."

Carse also said that Mark Wood is “full of energy" and ready to go after being cleared of any serious issue.

After Pakistan’s tri-series victory against Afghanistan, their stars have risen in the ICC T20 rankings. Their left-arm spinner, Sufiyan Muqeem, has risen seven places to 15th overall on the back of his two wickets in the final at Sharjah, while Shaheen Afridi jumps four spots to 22nd. Abrar Ahmed has improved 39 spots to equal 28th after his six wickets in two games at the event.

The left-handed aggressive opening batter of the Green Brigade, Fakhar Zaman, has been the biggest winner as they climbed nine spots to 68th, thanks to his 155 runs in the series as Sri Lanka’s top-order batter, Kusal Perera, has gained three places to move to the ninth spot after his unbeaten fifty against Zimbabwe in Harare.

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Zimbabwe’s T20I captain and veteran all-rounder, Sikandar Raza, has gained three spots to fourth overall in the list of T20I all-rounder for his special show against Sri Lanka. He recently became the number one-ranked all-rounder in the 50-over format.

Jofra Archer closes in on the number one ODI bowlers’ spot in latest ICC rankings

The premier fast bowler of the Three Lions, Jofra Archer, collected eight wickets in the recent three-match series against South Africa that included a wonderful spell of 4/18 in the third and final game at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. He has been rewarded 16 spots in the rankings to move up 16 places to the third spot, only behind two spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Maheesh Theekshana.

Archer’s teammate, spinner Adil Rashid, has improved seven spots to eighth on the same list for ODI bowlers. The three batters of the England side, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, and Jacob Bethell, also went up in the list of ICC ODI batters’ rankings.

In the 32nd game of The Hundred 2025, Southern Brave met Welsh Fire at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Welsh Fire captain Tom Abell won the toss and chose to bowl first, hoping the pitch would get better later. Southern Brave made three changes, bringing in Toby Albert, Danny Briggs and Tymal Mills. Hilton Cartwright, Jofra Archer and Reece Topley missed out, while Welsh Fire kept the same team.

Brave lost both openers early, but Jason Roy turned the innings around with a brilliant 70 from 39 balls, hitting six fours and five sixes. Leus de Plooy added 30 from 21 balls, and in the end, J Thompson (16 runs off 8) and Craig Overton (18 runs off 11) put on a quick stand of 38 runs to take Brave to 167/7.

The chase started badly for Welsh Fire as they lost three wickets for just 13 runs. Captain Tom Abell scored 20 from 15 balls, while Ben Kellaway fought with 33 off 20. Tom Kohler-Cadmore played a stunning knock of 84 from 39 balls, hitting seven sixes, but could not finish the job. Welsh Fire ended on 163/7, losing by just 4 runs.
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Southern Brave and Birmingham Phoenix met in the seventh match of The Hundred 2025 at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The Brave got a big boost with the return of star pacer Jofra Archer, who missed the last game. Birmingham, even after a poor batting show in their first match, stuck with the same playing XI. Brave captain James Vince won the toss and chose to bowl first, expecting the pitch to get better for batting later on.

Birmingham’s batting never really got going. The opening pair of Bn Duckett and Will Smeed failed to build a stand, with Duckett battling against Archer’s short balls before getting out for 20 from 21 balls. Joe Clarke scored 36 from 27, but no one else could lift the run rate. Michael Bracewell bowled brilliantly, taking 3 wickets for just 10 runs, while Archer picked up 2/16 with 14 dot balls. Chris Jordan and James Coles got one wicket each.

Chasing 109, the Brave openers made it look easy. Leus du Plooy stayed unbeaten on 48 from 29 balls, hitting five fours and a six. Skipper James Vince scored 41 from 30 balls with four boundaries. Jason Roy added 18 not out as Brave crossed the target with 19 balls left, winning comfortably by 9 wickets.

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There was a moment during the first hour of the third day between England and India in the fifth Test at the Kennington Oval when the camera found a new player who looked like Jofra Archer. Suddenly, questions popped up among the fans about the individual’s name. Many don’t know the youngster, but he has helped the Indian side at the Gabba during last year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. 

It was Nathan Barnwell from Surrey. The 22-year-old is a right-handed all-rounder who has played only one first-class game for Surrey against Middlesex three years ago. His recent fixture was against the Somerset side in the 2nd XI encounter, as he smashed 46 runs and picked up five wickets with the ball.

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Barnwell was in Queensland last year when the bowling coach of the Indian side, Morne Morkel, invited him to their net session. He bowled a few deliveries to then number three batter, Shubman Gill, before earning praise from the former Protea pacer. Barnwell idolizes Michael Holding and Jofra Archer.

Jofra Archer lookalike Nathan Barnwell aims to play for England and in the IPL

The connection between Barnwell and Morkel was established when the lanky South Africa-born went on to play for the club in 2022. ‘I wasn’t signed then, but I was in the academy when he was there in his last year. So, I got to learn about him back then, and it was good to catch up. That’s the first time I’ve seen him since then. So, good to catch up with him. I wasn’t talking too much about bowling, just about what I’m doing out here, my plans, stuff like that.’ He said to RevSportz.

Barnwell’s parents re from Guyana, but he was born in South London. He had already picked tips from Gus Atkinson and Chris Jordan to aim for the future. He found a good pace and bounce off the surface, which pushed Ryan Ten Doeschate to inquire about his availability for the future nets of the Indian side.

‘You don’t often get to do it. To have a good spell against someone who’s at the top of their game, at the top of the world, is very fun. I’m working on a few things, so it’s good to try them out against him. But he’s a great player, and I want to keep watching.’ Barnwell said, who has ambitions of playing for England and featuring in the IPL.

England will be without their regular Test captain, Ben Stokes, for the fifth and final Test of the summer against India at the Kennington Oval in South London. The series stands at 2-1 ahead for the home side. Ollie Pope replaces Stokes with the leadership duties after the all-rounder got ruled out with a biceps tendon injury. Apart from this, they have decided to rest Jofra Archer.

Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse will take a break after their heavy workloads with the bat, while Liam Dawson has been left out. Jacob Bethell and Joe Root will be the two spin-bowling options on a surface known to help them. Chris Waokes is retained to lead an inexperienced pace bowling attack.

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The two Surrey players, Gus Atkinson and Jamie Overton, make their way back into the side along with Josh Tongue. Stokes, who bowlers 11 overs on the final day with a hamstring and shoulder injury, explained that he was struggling with a biceps tendon injury in his right upper arm. It’s later understood to be a grade three tea which ruled him out of the decider.

England rest Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer for ENG vs IND 5th Test against India

Ben’s injury will be a massive blow for the Three Lions given that the right-arm pacer is the leading wicket-taker of the series with 17 scalps besides scoring his first century in two years in Manchester. But it’s also a concern as the Ashes 2025/26 trip down under is getting near this winter.

The 27-year-old Atkinson, who picked up a hamstring injury during the one-off Zimbabwe Test, has returned to the eleven after playing for Surrey’s second XI side. In 12 Tests, he has bagged 55 wickets at an average of 22.30 and has drilled 352 runs at a strike rate of nearly 80 with a century at Lord’s.

The pitch is expected to be a seam-friendly. Moreover, Surrey have not fielded any frontline spinner in most of their County games in the last couple of seasons. That shows the reason to leave Dawson and get Bethell in the eleven.

England’s playing XI for fifth Test against India

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope (captain), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Chris Woakes, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, and Josh Tongue.