ADELAIDE, Australia — Australia successfully retained cricket’s coveted Ashes urn with two matches remaining in the series following a dramatic fifth-day conclusion to the third test at Adelaide Oval. Pace bowler Mitchell Starc emerged as the decisive figure, capturing three of the final four wickets to thwart England’s resilient comeback attempt.
The final day commenced with England positioned at 6-207, requiring an improbable 228 runs to achieve a world-record chase of 435. Despite England’s morning session resurgence that added 102 runs and narrowed the equation, Australia’s bowling attack ultimately prevailed. Starc’s critical interventions dismantled England’s lower order, culminating in England’s dismissal for 352, securing an 82-run victory for the hosts.
Australian captain Pat Cummins, returning after missing the first two tests due to a back injury, praised his team’s perseverance. “Feels pretty awesome. We got it done,” Cummins remarked. “It’s a good old fashioned grind a lot of the time and I love the toil from all the guys today. It got a little bit closer than I would have liked, but pretty happy.”
The match witnessed significant personnel challenges for Australia, with Steve Smith ruled out minutes before the toss due to vertigo and veteran spinner Nathan Lyon suffering a hamstring injury during England’s innings. Wicketkeeper Alex Carey earned player of the match honors for his century in the first innings, half-century in the second, and seven dismissals behind the stumps.
England captain Ben Stokes acknowledged his team’s improved resilience despite the defeat. “This is going to hurt quite a bit,” Stokes admitted. “Obviously that dream that we came here with is now over, which is incredibly disappointing. But we’ve got two more tests to go on and that’s where the focus needs to switch to now.”
The victory extends England’s winless streak in Australian tests to 5,462 days dating back to January 2011. The series continues with the Boxing Day test in Melbourne beginning December 26, followed by the final match in Sydney.