England raced to within 98 runs of winning a chaotic fourth Ashes Test Saturday for the loss of Ben Duckett and Brydon Carse as they aggressively chased 175 to clinch a seesawing contest.

At tea on day two, they were 77-2 off just 12 overs with Zak Crawley on 22 and Jacob Bethell nine, as they inched closer to restoring some battered pride after crashing in the first three Tests. 

The pumped-up tourists dismissed Australia for 132 soon after lunch in front of another bumper crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, following the 20 wickets that tumbled on day one.

Travis Head top-scored with 46 while Carse took 4-34.

England have not won a Test in Australia since January 2011, losing 16 and drawing two since, and openers Crawley and Duckett had a clear objective to snap the streak -- play ultra-aggressive "Bazball" style.

Duckett hit a boundary off Mitchell Starc in his first over while Crawley slammed Michael Neser for a six and a four in successive balls. 

But they lived dangerously -- Duckett was dropped by Starc off his own bowling on eight and Crawley survived an lbw review on 15. 

They brought up a whirlwind fifty opening partnership in the seventh over but next ball Duckett was bowled by a Starc yorker for 34.

Fast bowler Carse then strode to the middle as a surprise number three in place of Bethell.

But England's pinch-hitting experiment failed as Carse lasted only eight balls before skying Jhye Richardson to Cameron Green.

Australia resumed on day two on 4-0 in their second innings after an explosive opening day of searing pace saw 20 wickets fall with the hosts dismissed for 152 and England just 110.

It was the most wickets to tumble on the first day of an Ashes Test since 1909, and eclipsed the 19 on day one of the series opener in Perth.

With 10 millimetres of grass on the track it was a bowler's dream, but a host of former greats criticised the pitch for "doing too much" and being "unfair for the batters".

- Atkinson injury -

Head got going with a boundary off Gus Atkinson and nightwatchman Scott Boland added two to his overnight four, but his time was always going to be limited and he edged Atkinson to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.

Atkinson left the field soon after clutching what appeared to be his left hamstring.

Josh Tongue came into the attack on a hat-trick after bagging the last two Australia wickets on day one, but Jake Weatherald whipped his full ball for three.

Weatherald needed a decent knock to cement his spot at the top of the order, but he failed again, bowled by Ben Stokes for five leaving a delivery that nipped back.

Head was joined by Marnus Labuschagne but he only made eight, caught by Joe Root in the slips off Tongue.

Head was in good touch before being bowled by a peach of a delivery from Carse that beat the outside edge, and when Usman Khawaja (0) and Alex Carey (4) departed in the space of nine balls, the momentum was back with England.

After reaching lunch at 98-6, Green (19) became the seventh wicket to fall with the score on 119, edging a rising ball off Stokes to Harry Brook at slip.

Carse bagged Neser and Starc without scoring and Richardson fell to Stokes as the tail collapsed with the last four wickets tumbling for 13 runs, leaving Steve Smith unbeaten on 24.

Australia have already retained the Ashes after crushing eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane and an 82-run win in Adelaide.

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An astounding 20 wickets fell on a frantic day one of the fourth Ashes Test on Friday with Australia all out for 152 before storming back to dismiss England for 110 and leave the clash on a knife-edge.

England skipper Ben Stokes won a key toss on a green track and his quicks feasted after sending in the hosts under overcast skies in front of 94,199 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

It was the biggest cricket crowd ever at the cavernous arena, exceeding the 93,013 who watched the 2015 World Cup final, and they witnessed the home side collapse with Josh Tongue grabbing 5-45.

But England fared even worse, slumping to 16-4 and never recovering, leaving Australia to face one over before stumps, which nightwatchman Scott Boland safely negotiated with Travis Head at the other end.

Australia were 4-0 at the close with Boland on four, 46 ahead, with Head yet to face a ball.

"I feel like anyone could have taken a 'five-fer' today," said Tongue, who became the first Englishman to take five wickets in an innings in a Test at the MCG since Dean Headley and Darren Gough in 1998.

"When I'm at my best I'm bowling at that fuller length. Stokes has spoken to us quite a bit about it, going a touch fuller but hitting the pitch hard.

"If we get the ball in the same areas tomorrow we can get them three of four wickets down in the first hour."

Australia bowler Michael Neser, who took 4-45, was not making any predictions for the second innings after a day when the ball dominated the bat.

"We saw how tough it was when we batted. The ball was nipping around and we needed to bowl in the right areas," Neser said.

"You need to put pressure back on their bowlers. You need to find the perfect balance between defence and attack."

Tongue said the match was far from over.

"No, not at all. They lead by 50," said Tongue.

"We will come back refreshed tomorrow morning. We have got to make sure to stick to what we did today and come out tomorrow."

- Duckett woes continue -

Beleaguered England opener Ben Duckett's week went from bad to worse, out for two just days after unverified video surfaced showing him drunk during a mid-series beach break.

It was another shocking dismissal for the 31-year-old, lobbing a simple catch to Neser at mid-on off the irrepressible Mitchell Starc.

Neser in the next over removed Jacob Bethell, playing in place of the under-performing Ollie Pope, when he edged to Alex Carey behind the stumps.

Zak Crawley was taken in the slips by Steve Smith off Starc four balls later, then Joe Root edged Neser to Carey to put England into freefall.

Harry Brook decided attack was the best form of defence, smashing sixes off Starc and Neser, and with Stokes temporarily halted the carnage.

They put on 50 before Scott Boland trapped Brook lbw for 41.

Boland then bowled Jamie Smith for two and had Will Jacks caught behind, all within the space of 10 deliveries from the 36-year-old.

When Stokes edged Neser to Smith in the slips for 16 it was all but over.

Australia have already retained the Ashes after crushing eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane and an 82-run win in Adelaide.

The tourists lost the famous urn in just 11 days of play with a drinking scandal by players during a beach break piling on the pressure.

- Crucial toss -

They responded well after Stokes won a crucial toss.

Head drove consecutive boundaries off a wayward Brydon Carse, but he only lasted 22 balls, chopping on Atkinson for 12.

Jake Weatherald tickled down the leg side to wicketkeeper Smith on 10 in Tongue's first over.

Tongue then enticed an edge from Marnus Labuschagne on six that was well taken by Root at slip.

Steve Smith and Usman Khawaja began to stabilise the innings before Tongue struck again to bowl the Australia captain for nine.

Khawaja on 29 got the faintest of edges to Smith off Atkinson before Adelaide century-maker Alex Carey, on 20, flicked Stokes to Crawley who had just moved to leg gully.

Cameron Green, who has had a lean series, crunched back-to-back fours off Tongue. Neser, in his fourth Test but first red-ball affair, went one better, cracking three in succession off the same bowler.

But Green ran himself out for 17 going for a risky single then Starc hoisted Carse to a back-pedalling Stokes at mid-off before Tongue removed Neser and Boland.

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