Josh Tongue Succeeds Where Generations Of Greats Could Not

It was an achievement that slipped past some of England’s finest fast bowlers, from Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard to James Anderson and Stuart Broad. But with a Boxing Day five-for and seven wickets across the match, Josh Tongue became the first England bowler to win player of the match in an Ashes Test in Australia since Dean Headley in 1998.

Tongue was only 13 months old when Headley, another Worcestershire product, took 6 for 60 as Australia narrowly missed a 175 chase, coincidentally the exact score England later hunted down. Reflecting on the moment, he said simply: "It's what dreams are made of."

Joining An Elite Company At The MCG

Tongue’s figures of 5 for 45 now sit proudly on the visiting honours board inside the MCG dressing room. And just above his name sit two entries for Jasprit Bumrah, a bowler who shares a technical quirk that makes both so dangerous.

Like Jasprit Bumrah, Tongue’s arm angle comes from beyond the perpendicular, closer to 10 or 11 o’clock than the traditional 12. That shape naturally drifts into right-handers, makes batters play more often, and exaggerates movement.

Smith acknowledged the challenge:

"He bowled nicely… He's a good bowler, bowled really nicely in this game, and he's done a pretty good job every time he's had the opportunity to play for England."

A Heavy Workload And Resilience To Match

Ben Stokes relied on Tongue for long spells across both innings, eight overs first, then 11 on the bounce in the second. Considering Tongue nearly quit cricket in 2022 after shoulder problems, it was a remarkable effort. As he admitted, "adrenaline kicked in."

With Gus Atkinson sidelined by injury, Stokes leaned heavily on him, referencing the confidence gained from a similar workload against India at The Oval.

Stokes added:

"He's just got that natural wicket-taking ability that is so hard to come by… He should be very, very proud of himself."

In the fading MCG light, surrounded by teammates, Tongue had earned something more meaningful validation after years of pain and doubt.

He summed it up perfectly:

"I'm glad I put in the hard work to get myself back playing cricket and now playing for England. It's what I've always wanted to do."