England on brink of quickest Ashes surrender since 1921 as Australia closes in on victory

Australia moved within sight of a 3-0 Ashes series win after setting England a daunting target of 435 to win in the third Test at Adelaide. England closed the day on 207 for six, 228 runs shy of victory with five wickets in hand, and a possible four-day finish loomed if the game moved quickly. Nathan Lyon supplied the decisive pressure in the morning, while Pat Cummins bowled with precision as England’s top order wilted under pressure. Jamie Smith and Will Jacks remained at the crease at stumps, offering a glimmer of resistance against a patient Australian attack.

England’s resistance was punctured by Lyon, who produced a telling spell by targeting the heart of the order. He dismissed Harry Brook for 30—bowled after misreading a leg-stump yorker following a reverse sweep—and then removed Ben Stokes for five, as England slipped from 177 for three to 194 for six with half an hour left in the day. Zak Crawley, who had already contributed a measured 85, continued to anchor England’s innings before being dismissed by Alex Carey with England still 194 for six. The late flurry left Australia believing they could nudge this game toward a four-day finish, even as England clung to a last-gasp chance to salvage something from the contest.

Earlier in the day, Cummins again did the damage England needed to check momentum. He struck with the first ball of the morning’s play by removing Ollie Duckett for four, and then pegged England back further by dislodging Joe Root for 39 following a spirited, though ultimately abortive, partnership of 78 with Crawley. Root’s dismissal, a reminder of England’s fragility against high-quality pace and disciplined line, left England reeling at 78 for three. Brook and Pope offered some resistance, but the combination of Lyon’s sharper overs and Cummins’ probing lengths kept England on the back foot.

By late play, England’s tail was exposed as Brook fell to Lyon, followed by Stokes, and Crawley’s 85—one of the few bright spots for England on the day—could not prevent the innings from subsiding. Josh Tongue, pressed into action, delivered a spirited spell with four for 70, while Mark Wood’s replacement, Carse, contributed three for 80. The pair’s efforts, however, were insufficient to turn the match as Australia’s bowlers continued to apply pressure and England’s batsmen were unable to string together a meaningful partnership.

Australia’s first innings had been built on a long stands, with Head and Carey supplying a 162-run fifth-wicket partnership that emphasized Australia’s depth. Head eventually fell for 170, caught by Crawley at deep midwicket while attempting to launch Josh Tongue over the Sir Donald Bradman Pavilion, at which point the lead surged toward four hundred. Australia’s bowlers then continued to strike at regular intervals as England’s line-up wilted. Cummins’ discipline with the ball, combined with Lyon’s pressure, underscored why Australia remain in control of the series.

The afternoon’s events left England facing a near-impossible task to avoid a whitewash, with the Ashes already drifting beyond their reach. For England, the focus now shifts to saving face at the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and avoiding a historically swift surrender that would mark the quickest Ashes capitulation since 1921. Selectors will weigh possible changes for the MCG clash, including potential movement in the batting line-up and whether to recall or rest certain bowlers depending on fitness. One lingering debate centers on Ollie Pope’s place in the side; if England were to replace Pope with Jacob Bethell at the MCG, Bethell could be facing one of his final opportunities to stake a claim at Test level.

In the broader context, Australia’s ascendancy and England’s fragility this phase of the series have set the stage for a chastening conclusion in Adelaide and Melbourne. Pat Cummins, who missed the first two Tests while nursing back, has bowled with the authority expected of a team captain, while Lyon’s double- and triple-wagging spells have exposed England’s vulnerability against quality spin. As the final couple of matches approach, Australia’s quality and depth will be on display, while England will search for a response that can at least salvage pride and avert a complete whitewash.