Australia vs England fourth test day 2 cricket scores, results, start time, wickets, teams, how to watch, Boxing Day Test, MCG

In another bizarre twist to the game, paceman Brydon Carse is batting at No.3 in the place of Jacob Bethell, the day after No.11 Scott Boland opened for Australia in their second innings.

The thinking is clearly for him to come in and bash a few more runs off this target without losing a frontline batter while the ball is shiny. Unlike Bethell, Carse has a first-class century to his name.

Test great Ricky Ponting has backed the decision.

England are 1-55 after losing Ben Duckett for 34 off 26 balls. Opener Zak Crawley is 17 not out.

“A pinch-hitter in Test cricket. Here it is. I don’t mind it to be honest,” Ponting says on the Channel 7 coverage.

“It is not conventional … but nothing has been this whole series.”

England need 119 runs to win. In the first innings, the inexperienced Jacob Bethell batted at No.3 and scored one.