Australia triumphs in nail-biting Ashes finale as England's chase falls short in Test 3
Australia players celebrate after taking the last England wicket
Image: William WEST / AFP
For three hours on a sweltering Sunday afternoon, the inevitable felt impossible. Australia has the Ashes, but for a breathless session at the Adelaide Oval, they were staring at a miracle. England resumed at 207-6, still 228 runs adrift.
Chasing a world-record 435, England didn’t just turn up to satisfy the schedule on Day 5; they turned the final day into a heart-stopping drama that silenced a nervous 40,000-strong crowd.
At lunch break, England was at 309-7 with 126 runs still required with only the tail remaining to support a defiant Will Jacks.
After Nathan Lyon left the field of play early due to a hamstring injury, Australia's attack suddenly looked mortal after having lost their top spin bowler. England's Jamie Smith played the innings of his life. Alongside Will Jacks, the two orchestrated a 91-run partnership that saw the required runs drop toward double digits.
Mitchell Starc, driven by adrenaline and urgency this entire series, delivered a pivotal blow by coaxing a rare moment of aggression from English batter Jamie Smith. The misplayed, lofted drive lingered in the air before being caught deftly by Pat Cummins, ending a partnership that had threatened to reshape the entire narrative of the series.
After the dismissal of Smith, Jacks refused to let the dream die. With the bowlers flagging in the 36°C heat, he shifted gears, farming the strike and punishing anything short.
Alongside Brydon Carse, he whittled the target down into double digits, briefly making the 40,000 in attendance wonder if the impossible was back on the table.
In came Pat Cummins, needing a moment of brilliance, and he found it in the man who has spent the series snatching catches from all angles, Marnus Labuschagne, who was filling in for Steve Smith at second slip.
Stationed at second slip, Labuschagne’s freakish athleticism finally broke England’s spirit.
Just as the partnership reached fifty, Brydon Carse (39) looked to sweep Scott Boland. He got a thick top edge that seemed destined to fall safely. Labuschagne, showing incredible range for a slip fielder, sprinted backwards and across, diving at full stretch to pluck the ball inches from the turf.
The definitive blow landed minutes later. Will Jacks (47) fended a searing Mitchell Starc delivery. Then, in a moment of defiance, the ball flew low and fast to Labuschagne’s left. Horizontal to the ground, Labuschagne stuck out a godly hand, and the ball nestled.
The stadium erupted. Labuschagne didn't just celebrate; he sprinted toward the hill, a whirlwind of white energy, knowing he had effectively caught the Ashes.
Australia's Marnus Labuschagne (L), Usman Khawaja (C) and Alex Carey (R) celebrate after Labuschagne caught Josh Tongue to seal the Ashes
Image: William WEST / AFP
With England 351-9 and the final pair of batsmen facing a rampant Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland, the end was swift.
Jofra Archer, who had looked to swing for the rafters to keep the faint hope alive, was the penultimate man to fall. He slashed at a wide Starc delivery, only for the ball to fly to deep backward point, where Jake Weatherald took a comfortable catch.
The final act belonged to Scott Boland. Josh Tongue tried to fend off a searing, tailing delivery from the Victorian, but the precision was too much. The ball nicked the outside edge and flew straight to first slip. Marnus Labuschagne, diving low, secured the ball in his palms, his fourth catch of a legendary innings in the field.
As the stadium erupted, Labuschagne didn't just celebrate; he sprinted toward the hill with the ball held high. He hadn't just caught the tail-ender; he had effectively caught the retaining Ashes Urn.
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