Eleven days. That’s all it took. By the time Adelaide’s fifth afternoon ticked past mid-afternoon, Australia had the Ashes back in their hands, polishing off an 82-run win and wrapping up the series at a joint-record pace not seen since 1921.
England’s faint hopes were snuffed out long before the shadows stretched across the Oval, even if the scoreboard suggested a fight.
A Brave Rearguard That Couldn’t Change the Ending
England returned on the final morning at 207 for six, staring at the impossible: another 228 runs just to drag this story on to Melbourne.
Credit where it’s due, the lower order refused to roll over.
They scrapped, nudged, swung and delayed the inevitable.
But the longer they hung in, the sharper the focus fell on the damage already done by those above them.
This was resistance without belief, effort without expectation.
The Moment That Ended It
At 2.11pm, the final act arrived. Josh Tongue chased width from Scott Boland, flashed hard, and watched the ball fly to second slip.
Marnus Labuschagne barely moved.
His fourth catch of the innings stuck, the roar went up, and Australia knew it was done.
Joy for One Side, Reckoning for the Other
Australian celebrations were loud and unrestrained. For England, the mood was heavier.
The fight had arrived too late to save the series, and perhaps too late to protect a few reputations as well — not just in the dressing room, but higher up the chain.
This defeat carried consequences beyond a single Test.
Eyes Already on a Whitewash
Three-nil up, Australia are now free to dream bigger.
They’ve whitewashed England in Ashes series before — 1920-21, 2006-07 and 2013-14 still echo loudly — and the appetite is clearly there again.
Beyond history, there’s another target in their sights: dismantling Bazball, a philosophy that has become a national talking point back home, and now looks dangerously fragile.
England’s Morning Mission: Salvage Some Pride
All England really wanted on a grey Adelaide morning was dignity.
That had been leaking away since their collapse on day two in Perth, and for a spell, Jamie Smith and Will Jacks helped stem the flow.
Smith launched Nathan Lyon over midwicket, then repeated the dose against Cameron Green.
This wasn’t blind swinging — it was measured, purposeful aggression.
Rain, Injuries and a Flicker of Momentum
A 40-minute rain break briefly interrupted the rhythm.
rrying sight with the MCG looming.
His fitness is now a talking point, with Matt Kuhnemann and Corey Rocchiccioli suddenly in the conversation.
Smith’s Best Knock — and the Shot That Undid It
Smith, though, was growing into his finest innings of the tour.
He pierced extra cover off Pat Cummins, then lofted him over mid-off to reach a deserved first Ashes fifty.
On 60, he went again — trying to pull Mitchell Starc for what would have been a fifth boundary in as many balls.
Instead came a top edge, and Cummins settled under it.
91-run stand was over, and with it, England’s last believable hope.
Still Swinging, Still Short
Social media lit up, as it always does, but England were never blocking their way to 435.
The fight continued regardless. At lunch, they were 309 for seven. B
rydon Carse slog-swept Travis Head for six, then clipped Boland for four to raise a half-century stand and nudge the target below 100. Briefly, the crowd stirred.
Starc Slams the Door Shut
The return of Starc ended the suspense. Jacks, on 47, chased width and edged low.
Labuschagne, again, flung himself left and somehow clung on.
were eight down. The miracle they needed never came.
Jofra Archer hacked Starc to third man. Tongue followed soon after.
The Oval erupted as Australia crossed the line.
The What-Ifs England Can’t Escape
England will replay this match in their heads for a while.
What if Harry Brook had held Khawaja early? What if technology hadn’t spared Alex Carey?
What if the batting had shown more urgency on that brutal 40-degree second day?
What if Lyon hadn’t ripped through them late on day four? The questions linger, but none rewrite the outcome.
Simply the Better Side
Australia were stronger when it mattered — calmer, sharper, more ruthless.
Worthy winners, without debate.
Now, with the urn secured and confidence soaring, they can turn their attention to something even more emphatic.
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