Australia retain Ashes after taking unassailable 3-0 lead

England mounted a spirited chase of 435 on Day 5, but Australia secured an 82-run victory in the third Test at Adelaide Oval to retain the Ashes with an unassailable 3-0 series lead. Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, and Brydon Carse produced fighting knocks, but England were bowled out for 352. Mitchell Starc took three wickets, joining Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon with multi-wicket hauls, powering Australia to their fourth consecutive Ashes series win at home.

Resuming at 207 for 6, England’s seventh-wicket pair were initially troubled by Cameron Green before Smith attacked, slog-sweeping Lyon and pulling Green for sixes. After a rain delay, the pair raised a half-century stand, taking England past 250. Smith also hit boundaries off part-time bowlers Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head before Lyon left the field with a right hamstring injury.

Australia took the new ball immediately, and Smith welcomed it with two successive fours off Cummins to reach fifty. He hit two more fours off Starc before miscuing a slog to Cummins at mid-on, falling for 60 and ending a 90-run partnership that lasted nearly 30 overs. Australia lost a review when Starc appealed for lbw against Carse. Carse then supported Jacks in a steady partnership, taking England to 309 for 7 at Lunch, needing 126 more.

After the break, Carse successfully overturned an lbw decision off Cummins and later struck a six off Head and a boundary off Scott Boland, bringing up a half-century stand with Jacks as the target fell below 100. Starc returned to break the 52-run partnership, inducing an edge from Jacks that Labuschagne caught brilliantly with one hand in front of the keeper. Boland nearly dismissed Carse, but Green dropped a tough one-handed chance at gully.

Starc claimed his third wicket, having Jofra Archer caught at backward point. Boland then took his first wicket of the innings, with Josh Tongue edging to second slip where Labuschagne took a straightforward catch to seal Australia’s victory.

Australia’s win was set up by Alex Carey’s 106, Usman Khawaja’s 82, and Starc’s 54, helping them recover from 94 for 4 to post 371 in the first innings despite Archer’s five-wicket haul. Ben Stokes (83) and Archer (51) then shone in England’s first innings, lifting them to 286 after collapsing to 168 for 8.

In Australia’s second innings, Head (170) and Carey (72) propelled the side from 149 for 4 to 349, setting England a daunting target. Despite Zak Crawley’s 85, England struggled to build partnerships, ending Day 4 at 207 for 6. Despite late resistance from Smith, Jacks, and Carse, they fell short on the final day.

Brief scores:
Australia 371 (Alex Carey 106, Usman Khawaja 82; Jofra Archer 5-53) & 349 (Travis Head 170, Alex Carey 72; Josh Tongue 4-70) beat England 286 (Ben Stokes 83, Jofra Archer 51; Scott Boland 3-45, Pat Cummins 3-69) & 352 (Zak Crawley 85, Jamie Smith 60; Pat Cummins 3-48, Mitchell Starc 3-62) by 82 runs.