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Mitchell Starc, Alex Carey run riot! Australia retain Ashes vs England, head to a clean sweep

Aakash Saini

Australia go 3-0 up in the Ashes [Source: @cricketcomau/x]Australia go 3-0 up in the Ashes [Source: @cricketcomau/x]

Australia pulverized England in the third Test to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the 2025-26 Ashes series. In-form fast bowler Mitchell Starc did the clean-up job on the final day after the batting heroics of belligerent left-handers, Travis Head and Alex Carey.

Here, we take a look at the entire highlights of the third Test of the 2025-26 Ashes series between Australia and England, as it panned out at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide between Wednesday, December 17 and Sunday, December 21. 

Alex Carey, Khawaja and Cummins ensure Australia gain big lead

Australia charted 371 in their first innings despite slipping to 94-4 on the opening day. Relegated opener Usman Khawaja compiled 82 and blistering wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey bludgeoned a hasty century before Mitchell Starc frustrated the English bowlers with a fiery 54. 

zFor England, Jofra Archer himself picked up five of the 10 fallen Australian wickets in the innings at an expense of just 54, while Brydon Carse and Will Jacks chipped in with two scalps each.

England’s first innings, featuring just two half-centuries from captain Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, folded up for 286 in 87.2 overs to fall 85 runs short of Australia. Comeback man Pat Cummins and Scott Boland both picked up three wickets each in the innings, and legendary Nathan Lyon scalped two to become Australia’s second most successful bowler of all time.

Emboldened with a handy lead, firebrand opener Travis Head raced to 170 from 219 balls, and Alex Carey carved 72 off 128 as Australia listed 349 around 85 overs to set a 435-run target for the hosts. Brydon Carse (3-80) and Josh Tongue (4-70) claimed seven wickets between them to inflict the most damage among all England bowlers to Australia.

Starc, Lyon and Cummins decimate England on Days 4 and 5

England opener Zak Crawley struck 85 in their chase of 435, despite losing partners at the other end at regular intervals. Wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith cracked a swift 60, and Will Jacks washed up 137 deliveries to get 47 before the visitors were bundled out for 352 in more than 100 overs.

For Australia, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon picked up three wickets each, while Mitchell Starc mopped up the English tail with a scorching three-fer as Australia won the match by 82 runs to take a 3-0 lead in the 2025-26 Ashes series.