Pace star backs 'positive' England batting approach

England quick Josh Tongue has backed his side's "positive" batting approach after the tourists were skittled inside 30 overs in a Boxing Day capitulation.

After winning the toss and sending Australia in to bat on a grassy deck, England bowled out the hosts for 152 as Tongue claimed a career-best 5-45 at the MCG on Friday.

But they were knocked over for just 110 in reply, with Harry Brook (41), tailender Gus Atkinson (28) and captain Ben Stokes (16) the only England batters to score in double figures.

The performance again left England's aggressive "Bazball" approach in the spotlight, after they lost the first three Tests on a disastrous tour, conceding their Ashes quest in just 11 days.

"I don't mind it - it's how we play our cricket," Tongue said.

"We play a very positive brand of cricket. We try and put pressure on the opposition and take it back to them.

"It obviously didn't work as well today but we're going to come back again."

Brook went particularly hard with a strike rate of 120.6, hitting two fours and two sixes before he was trapped lbw by Scott Boland on a pitch that gave the fast bowlers plenty to work with.

"There wasn't really a big chat at all," Tongue said.

"I feel like we want to put pressure back onto the opposition so whoever walks out into the middle thinks it's the right time to shift a gear or put them under pressure.

"Knowing where your scoring options are is obviously crucial on this sort of wicket when the ball is doing a bit more.

"But I thought that Brooky batted really well and the runs that he got were obviously crucial in a small first-innings total."

In his eighth Test, Tongue had the best day of his career so far, which started with taking 3-14 in six overs to give England early ascendancy in Australia's first innings.

He had Jake Weatherald and Marnus Labuschagne caught before clean-bowling Steve Smith as the chief destroyer of Australia's top order.

Tongue also bowled Australia's top-scorer Michael Neser and rounded out the first innings by dismissing Boland.

"I feel like the hard work I put in investing in my body and making sure I'm in a good place physically, I've sort of got to give myself a bit of credit," Tongue said.

"These sort of moments hopefully come more (often)."