5 months ago
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A unsafe Travis Head crunched an unbeaten 68 arsenic Australia built an ominous 204-run pb connected Friday (December 19, 2025) successful the 3rd Test arsenic England's hopes of salvaging the Ashes slid away.
At beverage connected time three, the hosts were 119-2 with Usman Khawaja partnering Head connected 27 arsenic they acceptable astir piling up a large full to enactment the five-match bid retired of England's reach.
England mislaid the archetypal Test astatine Perth wrong 2 days and the 2nd successful Brisbane wrong four, some by 8 wickets, and lone triumph successful Adelaide tin prevention them.
Australia suffered an aboriginal setback successful a tense 20 minutes earlier luncheon aft England were each retired for 286 connected the backmost of Ben Stokes' gritty 83 successful effect to Australia's archetypal innings 371.
Bryson Carse trapped Jake Weatherald lbw for 1 and helium walked without reviewing aft the umpire lifted his finger, though replays showed the shot was pitching extracurricular limb stump.
After the break, a engaged Head began cutting and chopping boundaries to each corners of the ground, reviving memories of his match-winning 123 successful Perth.
Marnus Labuschagne had a fright connected 8 erstwhile England made a immense entreaty for caught behind, but the 3rd umpire ruled determination was a spread betwixt bat and ball.
He had nary specified luck connected 13 erstwhile helium edged Josh Tongue to Harry Brook astatine slip, with reviews showing it carried.
Khawaja, who deed a defiant 82 successful the archetypal innings aft his last-minute call-up for the sick Steve Smith, was again composed and a cleanable foil for the much assertive Head.
After a woeful batting show connected Thursday, Stokes and Jofra Archer kept England's dreams live with a stirring 106-run ninth-wicket stand.
They resumed astatine 213-8 successful overcast and muggy conditions with Stokes not retired 45 and Archer connected 30.
Stokes, who suffered limb cramps and dehydration during his gutsy rearguard enactment successful sweltering 40 Celsius vigor connected Thursday, brought up his slowest ever 50 successful Tests, disconnected 159 balls.
He kept plugging distant but yet fell erstwhile Mitchell Starc took the caller shot and bowled him, with Stokes 1 of the fewer players who showed the combat helium had demanded earlier the game.
Archer was another, ably supporting his captain.
The accelerated bowler was the past antheral retired erstwhile caught by Labuschagne disconnected Scott Boland for 51 -- his highest Test people and a maiden half-century
Boland ended with 3-45 portion Pat Cummins took 3-69 successful his archetypal Test since July aft little backmost issues.
England's woes began erstwhile openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, on with the under-performing Ollie Pope, departed successful a 15-ball blitz connected Thursday astatine the hands of Cummins and Nathan Lyon.
Harry Brook showed immoderate absorption with 45, but the Australian onslaught was relentless.
