Steve Smith's mediocre Ashes continues, falls to Josh Tongue for third time in as many meetings

Melbourne [Australia], December 26 : Steve Smith's mediocre Ashes campaign continued as he once again fell to England's right-arm pacer Josh Tongue during the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne on Friday.
Leading the side in the fourth Ashes Test with the series already in pocket, Smith, who also led Australia in two opening Tests in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins, did get off to a decent start with a boundary each against Tongue and Brydon Carse, but the 31st delivery he faced, coming into him, beat the inside edge of his bat and crashed into middle stump. Smith walked back for just nine in 31 runs and was the fourth wicket to fall for Australia.
In Tests, Smith has faced 35 deliveries against Tongue and scored 69 runs at an average of 11.66, being dismissed thrice in as many meetings. In the ongoing series, Smith has not looked at his best, and the Australia's 'Best Since Bradman' has not been able to deliver a bumper Ashes series expected from him. In three Tests and five innings, he has scored just 112 runs at an average of 37.33, with just one half-century to his name and best score of 61. At Perth during the first Test, he scored 17 and 2*, following it with a better outing with 61 and 23* at Brisbane during the pink-ball Test. Having missed the third Test at Adelaide due to fitness concerns, Smith's Ashes return fell flat at MCG.
At the end of session one, Australia was 72/4, with Usman Khawaja (21*) and Alex Carey (9*) unbeaten.
England won the toss and opted to bowl first, with Aussie openers Travis Head and Jake Weatherald coming out to bat.
The batting duo started off cautiously against Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse. In the sixth over, Australia released some pressure, with Head getting two successive boundaries against Carse, one being an elegant cover drive, and Weatherland ended the over with another cover drive for four, getting 15 runs off the over.
Atkinson earned England their first breakthrough, with Head chopping on a delivery angling across him into his stumps. Head was gone for 22-ball 12, with Australia on 27/1 in 5.1 overs.
From the ninth over, Josh Tongue started his spell of horror for the Aussies, with Weatherald strangled down the leg side and caught by keeper Jamie Smith for a 23-ball 10. Australia slipped to 31/2 in nine overs.
It was the Boxing Day Test and England, who had failed to secure the Ashes, were not holding back with their punches as Tongue got Marnus Labuschagne (6) and Steve Smith (5) in quick succession, leaving Aussies in disarray at 51/4 in 19.2 overs, with the cream of Aussie batting sitting in the pavillion barely an hour into the Test match.
The left-handed batting pair of Alex Carey and Usman Khawaja managed to see Australia through the remainder of the session.
Australia (Playing XI): Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith(c), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey(w), Cameron Green, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, Scott Boland
England (Playing XI): Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes(c), Jamie Smith(w), Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue.