Ashes advantage England: Visitors take 4 Australian wickets after winning the toss at the MCG

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — England pace bowler Josh Tongue took three early wickets as Australia limped to lunch at 72-4 Friday on the first day of the fourth Ashes test.

Tongue claimed 3-24 from eight overs including removing Australia captain Steve Smith for nine at a sold-out Melbourne Cricket Ground.

England skipper Ben Stokes won the toss and sent Australia in to bat in overcast conditions. England lost each of the first three tests to allow Australia to retain the Ashes in just 11 days of on-field action.

Australia scored 27 runs in the first six overs before Travis Head (12) chopped a cut shot onto his stumps from the bowling of Gus Atkinson. Fellow opener Jake Weatherald (10) also fell cheaply, caught behind leg-glancing off Tongue at 31-2 in the 10th over.

Capitalizing on a pitch offering sideways movement, Tongue struck again in his next over when Marnus Labuschagne (6) edged to first slip. Australia was 34-3 at drinks, silencing the home crowd.

Smith showed a lack of footwork as he lost his middle stump while attempting to drive with the total on 55, as the triumphant Tongue struck a key blow to make sure England dominated the first session.

Usman Khawaja was 21 not out at lunch with Alex Carey on nine.

Australia recalled Jhye Richardson and Michael Neser as part of an all-pace attack for the match.

A top temperature of 18 degrees Celsius (65 Fahrenheit) was forecast with the cloudy conditions expected to suit pace bowlers on a green-tinged pitch.

England named its team on Wednesday with the big news the loss of star bowler Jofra Archer for the rest of the series, including the fifth and final test starting Jan. 4 in Sydney.

Jacob Bethell, 22, who has played four tests for England, replaces dumped Ollie Pope and Atkinson took the place of Archer.

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket

Australia's Scott Boland prepares to bowl to England during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

Australia's Cameron Green, left, celebrates after bowling England's Gus Atkinson, right, during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

Australia's Scott Boland, second left, along with teammates, successfully appeal for a LBW decision on England's Harry Brook, third right, during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

England's Josh Tongue, center, celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Australia's Scott Boland during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

England's Gus Atkinson bats against Australia during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

England's Josh Tongue, center, celebrates the wicket of Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, left, during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

Australia's Steve Smith bats against England during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

England's Gus Atkinson, center, celebrates with teammates after bowling Australia's Travis Head during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

Australia's Travis Head is bowled by England's Gus Atkinson during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

England's Josh Tongue, right, celebrates the wicket of Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, left, during their Ashes cricket test match in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

Australia's Usman Khawaja sign autograph to fans after they won the third Ashes cricket test match against England in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025 (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Jacob Bethell warms up before their Ashes cricket test match against Australia in Melbourne, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Hamish Blair)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)