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Australia is on the verge of securing a decisive victory in the Ashes series following a pivotal performance by Nathan Lyon during the late stages of day four in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval. Lyon’s off-spin was instrumental in breaking England’s resistance, as he dismissed key players including Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, and Zak Crawley. Crawley’s determined 85 runs halted England’s momentum temporarily, but his eventual stumping left the visitors struggling at 194-6 while chasing an imposing target of 435. Australia now requires just four more wickets to establish a 3-0 lead in the series and retain the Ashes after only 11 days of cricket, besides securing their fourth consecutive home series win against England.
England’s efforts to adjust their aggressive “Bazball” style batting approach on day four appeared too little and too late. Although they managed to take six wickets for 38 runs late in Australia’s second innings, dismissing the hosts for 349, the visitors could not sustain their resistance. Travis Head scored a commanding 170 and Alex Carey contributed 72, while Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse were the most successful bowlers for England with four and three wickets respectively. England’s top order struggled badly, with opener Ben Duckett falling cheaply and Ollie Pope facing the threat of being dropped following a poor series average and another low score of 17, intensified by a stunning catch from Marnus Labuschagne.
Zak Crawley’s innings was a rare bright spot amid England’s troubled batting line-up and could influence his future selection in the team. His patient and gritty knock, lasting 102 balls to reach fifty, came at a crucial time when England were vulnerable at 31-2. Crawley forged important partnerships, adding 78 runs with Joe Root and 68 with Harry Brook. However, after Pat Cummins claimed Root’s wicket—Root’s 13th dismissal by the Australia captain in Tests—England’s fight diminished. Brook showed some resilience, scoring 30 off 56 balls before falling to Lyon’s guile with a risky reverse sweep that handed the spinner his breakthrough and set the stage for England’s collapse.
On the bowling front, England showed some fight returning to the field on day four, where they had to defend a large target with Australia at 271-4. Captain Ben Stokes, despite concerns about his fitness, bowled early and maintained pressure, while Brydon Carse and Josh Tongue caused some trouble for the Australian batsmen. Tongue triggered a vital catch to Crawley by luring Travis Head into a mistake, and Stokes was clever in trapping Alex Carey with a leg-slip catch. The combined efforts of Carse and Archer further dented Australia’s innings by taking wickets in quick succession, including dismissals of key players like Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon. Despite England’s spirited bowling, Australia remains firmly in control as they look to wrap up the match and the series
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