Adelaide: Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon led the bowling effort on Day 4 as Australia moved within touching distance of an unassailable 3-0 lead in the Ashes, reducing England to 207/6 in the chase of 435 here at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
On the final day, the visitors need 228 runs to win, while the hosts require just four wickets to clinch the series with an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Australia added 78 runs to their overnight score of 271/4 on Day 4 of the third Ashes Test here at the Adelaide Oval as the English bowlers managed to hold them to 349 in their second innings, setting themselves a 435-run target.
Australia were once again firmly in control, establishing a massive 434-run lead that put them close to securing the Ashes. During a brisk morning session, Travis Head and Alex Carey contributed significantly to the scoreboard, pushing Australia’s lead beyond 400 runs swiftly.
Head’s excellent innings ended at 170, dismissed by Josh Tongue, while Carey was caught at leg slip off Ben Stokes. For England, Tongue stood out as the most effective bowler, claiming four wickets and offering some resistance with the ball.
Cummins was quick to provide his side with an early breakthrough in the final innings as Ben Duckett found his way back to the pavilion at the stroke of Lunch, in just the second over, courtesy of a sharp catch by Marnus Labuschagne as Australia held a commanding position by reducing England to 5/1 at Lunch.
Chasing 435 in the fourth innings was always a daunting challenge, and with the Australian bowlers performing at peak intensity, it appeared an insurmountable task for England.
The Aussie skipper Cummins breathed fire as he continued the team’s celebrations by picking Ollie Pope’s wicket. Zak Crawley and Joe Root then provided stability and a ray of hope with a 78-run third-wicket partnership, but Cummins struck for a third time to remove Root, making it the 13th instance of him dismissing the England batter in Tests.
Brook and Crawley too did well with a 68-run stand to stretch through the session as they reached 106/2 at Tea, but what followed next was a disappointing collapse. Nathan Lyon spun a web to dismiss Brook and soon removed skipper Stokes as England’s batting unit came crashing down.
The spinner returned for his third over and picked up his third wicket, this time trapping Jack Crawley as Jamie Smith and Will Jacks remained unbeaten on Day 4, with England at 207/6 at stumps.
(IANS)
