England charging towards win in chaotic MCG Test

England are charging towards a drought-breaking win in Australia, on track to claim a chaotic Test at the MCG inside two days.

At the tea break on Saturday, England were 2-77, requiring another 98 runs for victory.

Set 175 - the highest innings total of the rapid-fire Test - England continued with their frenetic Bazball approach to fly to 0-51 from seven overs.

Under-fire opener Ben Duckett (34) made his highest score of the series before missing a full ball from Mitchell Starc on his stumps.

England bizarrely sent out paceman Brydon Carse, who batted at No.10 in the first innings, when the opening stand finished instead of youngster Jacob Bethell.

Carse (six) lasted just eight balls, before lofting a ball in the air to gift Jhye Richardson his first Test wicket in four years.

Opener Zak Crawley (22no) and Bethell (9no) will return to the crease for what will almost certainly be the final session of the Test.

Since they convincingly won the 2010-11 Ashes 3-1 - ending it with a heavy victory at the SCG - England travelled to Melbourne this week having lost 16 and drawing the other two of their 18 most recent Tests in Australia.

It is set to be the second two-day Test of the summer in a massive financial blow to Cricket Australia, after the series opener in Perth also ended with three days to spare.

After a record-breaking 20 wickets fell on day one, Australia were skittled for just 132 in only 34.3 overs on Saturday.

Starting the day at 0-4, Australia's top-order folded again as Carse (4-34), captain Ben Stokes (3-24) and Josh Tongue (2-44) took advantage of an MCG pitch with 10mm of grass left on it.

Travis Head (46, the highest individual score of this Test) and stand-in captain Steve Smith (24no) provided the only resistance in Australia's second innings.

Even with fellow quick Gus Atkinson off with a hamstring injury, England made the most of the bowler-friendly conditions to give themselves a chance of restoring some pride on what has been a horror tour.

Coming to Australia with great expectations, England's hopes of regaining the Ashes were over in 11 days after defeats in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

This pitch has been treacherous to bat on for both sides, prompting criticism even from fast-bowling greats such as Stuart Broad, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, and former England captain Michael Vaughan.

Across the first five sessions of this Test, the combined score is 32-471.

The wicket tally on Friday was the most on any day of a Test in Australia since 1951 when 22 fell between Australia and West Indies in Adelaide.

New opener Jake Weatherald, struggling No.3 Marnus Labuschagne and allrounder Cameron Green failed again, placing further pressure on their positions.

But they are bound to be given more leeway because no player in this match has reached 50.

Head, England's nemesis after smashing centuries in Perth and Adelaide, was again flying and making batting look easy.

But he copped a beauty from Carse about 20 minutes before lunch and was bowled.

Veteran Usman Khawaja (0) and wicketkeeper Alex Carey (four) also fell in a chaotic period before the break.

Weatherald, who replaced Sam Konstas as opener for the Ashes, is averaging just 20.85 from the first eight innings of his Test career.

The attacking left-hander, who came in at No.3 due to Scott Boland opening as a nightwatchman, left a ball from Stokes that cannoned into the stumps.

Labuschagne ends a difficult 2025 after making just 271 runs at an average 20.84 from eight Tests.

The 31-year-old was dropped for the tour of the West Indies, but recalled for the Ashes on the back of strong Sheffield Shield form.

His superb catching has been a feature of the summer, but his returns with the bat have again not been up to scratch.

After running himself out on day one, Green again threw his wicket away in the second innings.

The 26-year-old tried to guide a Stokes ball away into the off-side, but was caught at second slip.

Green is averaging just 18.66 this series, batting at No.7 in this match after being as high as No.3 earlier this year when he returned from injury.