Australia have once again shown their dominance at home, sealing the Ashes with an 82-run victory in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval to take a commanding 3–0 series lead. The victory, which hands the hosts the urn with two matches still to play, delivers a decisive blow to England’s much-hyped “Bazball” revolution.
The fifth day promised drama, and England delivered resistance in abundance. Resuming with little hope of pulling off a miraculous escape, the visitors dug in for longer than expected, forcing Australia to work hard for every breakthrough. However, Australia found the much-needed breakthrough they needed midway through the middle session. Scott Boland claimed the final wicket to bring an end to England’s defiance and give Australia a defiant win.
Australia posted competitive totals in both innings. Travis Head was once again instrumental, following his earlier heroics in the series with a brilliant 170, anchoring Australia’s second-innings push. Alex Carey, as always, stood out with the bat and behind the stumps, scoring an important first-innings century.
England, meanwhile, showed fleeting signs of a fightback, with strong knocks from Zak Crawley (85) and spirited contributions from Jamie Smith (60) and Will Jacks (47). However, their efforts weren’t enough to chase down a tough target of 435.