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Mitchell Starc produced one of the most complete performances of his Test career, blasting a late-order half-century before tearing through England’s top order under the Gabba floodlights, leaving Australia on the verge of a commanding victory at the close of day three of the second Ashes Test.
The veteran left-armer dazzled in both disciplines. First, he smashed a sparkling 77 from 141 balls, rescuing Australia from potential trouble and propelling them to a formidable 177-run lead. Then, armed with the pink ball as evening descended on Brisbane, he removed Joe Root and Jamie Smith to help reduce England to 134 for six at stumps—still 43 runs away from making Australia bat again.
With Ben Stokes and Will Jacks each on four not out, England’s hopes now rest on a prayer, as they face the spectre of going 2-0 down in the five-match series. No England side has won a Test series in Australia for 15 years, and this collapse under the lights may be remembered as one of their bleakest cricketing moments on Australian soil.
Australia Dominate After Slow Start
England began the day with the faint hope of limiting the damage. Australia resumed on 378 for six with a 44-run lead, but any optimism quickly evaporated. A combination of loose bowling, soft fielding, and gritty Australian partnerships pushed the hosts to a towering 511 all out.
Alex Carey, reprieved twice on day two, made England pay with a steady 63. Cameron Green, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith all added valuable contributions earlier in the innings, but it was Starc’s spirited late hitting that broke England’s resilience. He blasted 13 fours and, alongside Scott Boland, put on a Gabba record 75 runs for the ninth wicket.
Once Starc holed out trying one slog too many, Brendan Doggett and Boland batted sensibly, frustrating England with another seven overs before Doggett edged to slip off Jacks.
Brydon Carse was the pick of England’s bowlers with 4 for 152, though his expensive economy rate mirrored England’s inconsistency. Stokes took three wickets, but England’s attack lacked precision throughout the innings.
England’s Bright Start Turns to Chaos
England’s chase began brightly. Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett came out firing, racing to 45 without loss in six overs before the dinner break. For a moment, it appeared that England’s aggressive “Bazball” approach might help them claw back into the contest.
But once the pink ball began to swing, the collapse was swift and brutal.
Boland struck first, bowling Duckett for 15. Neser then removed Crawley—who had looked fluent in his 44—and Pope, both caught driving recklessly. What followed was a procession of avoidable dismissals: Root stabbed at one outside off stump to give Carey a simple catch off Starc, Harry Brook edged behind off Boland, and debutant Jamie Smith lasted only a few minutes before nicking off to Starc as well.
England tumbled from 90 for one to 128 for six in a calamitous night session, losing 6 for 89 as 35,000 fans roared the Australians on.
Stokes and Jacks survived until stumps, but their task on day four borders on impossible. Only one team in the history of the game has ever overturned a 2-0 deficit to win a Test series: Don Bradman’s Australia in the 1936–37 Ashes—a fact that looms large for the tourists.
Australia in Total Control
For Australia, the day was a celebration of discipline and opportunity. Boland and Neser each finished with two wickets, backing up Starc’s incisiveness. Their work ensured that Australia kept full control of the Test, maintaining relentless pressure as England continued to fall into familiar traps—loose strokes, poor judgement, and a reliance on aggression over application.
While Marcus Trescothick defended England’s approach post-match, acknowledging that their method “works when we get it right,” this was another tough lesson in how quickly an Ashes Test in Australia can get away from a visiting side.
With Australia just four wickets from sealing a 2-0 series lead, Stokes’s men face a daunting mountain—and the possibility that this series may already be slipping beyond their reach.
