Lyon, Cummins crush England's Ashes dream

Ben Stokes' reactions often mirror the quality of delivery he faces. On Saturday evening, he stood bamboozled by a Nathan Lyon delivery that knocked his off stump back. In his defence, it was special: drift, drop, grip, guile, and turn. From around the wicket, Lyon drifted the ball towards Stokes' pads, landing on a length he couldn't smother, then turned it past the edge to hit the off bail. The ball was released 5kph slower, hanging ominously in the air.

As Stokes held his pose, remonstrating, Lyon sprinted in celebration towards the western stands at Adelaide Oval. It echoed his celebration 11 years earlier when he spun Australia to a Test win against India at the same venue.

This week, Lyon was inducted into the Adelaide Oval's Avenue of Honour, with an image from that 2014 win—a tragic period following Phil Hughes' passing—now displayed behind the Member's Pavilion. At his favourite ground, where he has more Test wickets than anyone, Lyon's week turned sensational as he dismantled England's Ashes hopes late on Day 4. In just 20 deliveries, he removed a well-set Harry Brook, a century-bound Zak Crawley, and Stokes with that dream ball.

England hoped for "magic" to keep their Ashes hopes alive; instead, Lyon provided it, all but ensuring Australia retains the Ashes with a 3-0 lead.

If Lyon closed the day with genius, Pat Cummins opened England's chase with what Mitchell Starc called "freak" bowling. Returning from a four-month back injury, Cummins bowled as if he'd never left, with Starc remarking, "Doesn't train for three months and he comes and bowls like that? Freak."

Cummins showed glimpses in the first innings with three wickets but elevated his game on Saturday. Ben Duckett guided his second delivery to slip, but Cummins' post-lunch spell showcased his onslaught: accuracy, ability to extract movement from benign surfaces, varied grips and angles, and consistent bounce.

Ollie Pope fell first, caught by a diving Marnus Labuschagne after repeatedly flirting with his outside edge. Then came Joe Root, whom Cummins had dismissed in the first innings after relentless probing outside off-stump. Root, who ended a century drought in Australia just 10 days prior, looked nothing like that batter.

On Day 4, Cummins never let Root settle. When he returned to the attack, Root had scored against Lyon and Cameron Green, but Cummins targeted his channel of uncertainty, ball after ball, dragging Root wider. Root eventually poked at a fifth-stump delivery with an open face, caught behind for the 13th time in Tests by Cummins.

Root's reaction was one of sheer frustration, punching his bat and yelling repeatedly before tossing his gloves away. He became the first of England's senior statesmen to exit cursing, as England's Ashes dreams faded to black.

Cummins dismissed Root for the 13th time in Tests