The home side have Australia on the brink of a 2-0 series lead after a brutal Day 3 at the Gabba, led by a vintage performance from Mitchell Starc and backed up by accurate seam work from Scott Boland and Michael Neser.
Australia resumed at 6-378, already looking comfortable. But when England’s attack failed to make further inroads before the close of play, Starc and Boland took full control. The pair stitched together a punishing ninth wicket stand, with Starc smashing a gritty 77, his highest Test score in nearly nine years while Boland held firm at the other end. Their efforts helped push Australia to 511, setting England an imposing first-innings deficit of 177.
With the pink ball under lights, the night session was all Aussies. Neser, recently back from a hamstring injury, showed why the selectors gambled on him grabbing two sharp caught and bowled wickets, including that of Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley.
Then Starc turned the screw. A fuller delivery drew an edge from the night watchman Joe Root and Carey behind the stumps did the rest. Root’s dismissal, his 11th against Starc in Tests, was arguably the turning point of the evening.
Wickets tumbled quickly after that. In rapid succession, England lost Brook, Smith and others leaving them at 6 – 134 by stumps. They still trailed Australia by 43 runs, with four wickets left to take if they are to salvage a draw from this second Ashes Test.
If Australia wrap it up, this will be their second straight win in the 2025–26 series, a position only rarely escaped by past England sides and one which leaves the tourists with an uphill climb to recover their pride.
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