🏏 Tongue's Heroics Echo Headley After 28 Years

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Key Takeaways

1📊 Tongue: 7 wickets, first Eng POTM in Aus since Headley 1998[1]
2🏆 5-for on Boxing Day propelled 4-wicket chase win[1]
3💡 145kph pace exploited MCG bounce perfectly[1]
4🔮 Likely Sydney starter in Stokes' pace rotation[2]
5💬 'Dreams are made of' - Tongue on legacy moment[1]

"He is the first England bowler named player of the match in an Ashes Test in Australia since Dean Headley in 1998"

Josh Tongue etched his name in Ashes folklore, clinching Player of the Match with a Boxing Day five-for and seven wickets total at the MCG, becoming the first England bowler so honored in Australia since Dean Headley in 1998. The Worcestershire quick's haul dismantled Australia, securing a four-wicket win chasing 175. At just 13 months old during Headley's 6-60, Tongue now shares the honors board, a feat eluding greats like James Anderson and Stuart Broad. This triumph ended England's long drought Down Under.

Tongue's meteoric rise from age-group cricket mirrors Headley's path, both Worcestershire products. His career stats exploded here: 7-93 in the match, including key blows to Australia's middle order. Amid England's seam rotation, his emergence revitalized a pace attack fatigued by the tour. The win's significance? Ben Stokes' first Aussie Test success since 2010, injecting belief before Sydney despite 0-3 series deficit.

Breaking a 28-Year Record

Tongue's Mullagh Medal came via incisive bounce and seam movement, claiming 5-50 in the first innings. Compare to Headley's 6-60 defending 175—eerily similar targets. England bowlers' tour average dipped under 30 with his input, versus Australia's 35+. His economy of 2.8 rpo stifled runs, echoing Steve Harmison's unrealized potential. This wasn't fluke; Tongue's pace hit 145kph, exploiting MCG's bounce like few before.

Reviving England's Pace Legacy

The award underscores England's bowling depth amid injuries, pressuring selectors for Sydney. Australia's drift exposed frailties, with standings now irrelevant but pride paramount. For Tongue, it's trajectory-altering, joining elites who starred in Aussie wins. Stokes' attack, blending youth like Tongue with veterans, signals a new era post-Broad.

SCG Selection Battle Heats Up

With the SCG Test looming, Tongue's form eyes retention alongside Shoaib Bashir's spin threat. Will he lead another charge? Fans tune in for his duel with Usman Khawaja.