NEW DELHI: England could not have asked for a better opportunity to finally snap their 18-match winless streak in Australia, wrapping up the fourth Ashes Test inside two days at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. However, England’s decade-long wait to clinch the Ashes continues, having suffered defeats in the opening Tests of the series.
England’s prolonged struggles on Australian soil can be traced back to the 2013–14 Ashes, a series they lost 0–5. Since their memorable 3-1 triumph in the 2010-11 Ashes, England endured a barren run Down Under, failing to win any of their next 18 Tests in Australia.
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Over nearly 15 years, that stretch included 16 defeats and just two draws, underlining the scale of England’s difficulties away from home before finally ending the drought.
However, England were not the only team who endured an 18-match winless run Down Under as New Zealand (December 1987–December 2011) faced the same agony for the longest sequence of Tests without a victory on Australian soil.
Most consecutive Tests without a win in Australia
18 – New Zealand (December 1987 – December 2011)
18 – England (November 2013 – December 2025) – streak ended today
17 – West Indies (November 2000 – January, 2024)
17* – Pakistan (November 1999 – present)
15* – Sri Lanka (February 1988 – present)
The list of teams that have struggled Down Under underlines just how difficult touring Australia remains. West Indies endured 17 consecutive Tests without a win between November 2000 and January 2024, while Pakistan are currently on 17 and counting, their drought dating back to November 1999. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, have gone 15 Tests without a victory since February 1988, a streak that is still active.
England’s breakthrough at the MCG may not have changed the outcome of the Ashes – Australia had already retained the urn – but it ended a decade-long frustration and removed England from an unenviable club. For Ben Stokes and his side, the win was as much about restoring pride as it was about rewriting a grim statistic that had haunted multiple tours.
Ashes Test ending inside two days
Lord’s, 1888
The Oval, 1888
Manchester, 1888
The Oval, 1890
Nottingham, 1921 (excluding rest day)
Perth, 2025 *
Melbourne, 2025*
England were beaten in the opening three Tests, enabling Australia to seal the Ashes in a mere 11 days of play across Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide. England, however, struck back at the MCG, dismantling Australia inside two days on Saturday – a result that echoed Australia’s similarly swift victory in the series opener at Perth.
Remarkably, it marked the first instance in 129 years that a single Test series featured more than one match finished within two days.
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