WATCH: Nathan Lyon rattles Ben Stokes’ off stump with a beauty on Day 4 of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide

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The third Ashes Test between Australia and England ignited Adelaide Oval from December 17 to 21, 2025, with hosts Australia enforcing a daunting 435-run chase after posting 371 and 349 in their innings. England responded with 286 in their first dig, trailing by 85, before slumping to 194/6 on Day 4, needing 241 more on a wearing pitch. Travis Head‘s masterful 170 in the second innings propelled Australia, leaving England captain Ben Stokes‘ side on the brink in this pivotal series clash.​

Nathan Lyon delivered a match-defining moment on Day 4, dismissing Stokes with a ripper at 51.6 overs to leave England reeling at 189 for 5. Round the wicket, Lyon drifted the off-break into middle stump before it straightened viciously, spinning past Stokes’ groping bat to clip the top of off. Stokes departed for a gritty 5 off 18 balls (1×4, SR 27.77), his frustration evident as Australia sensed victory.​ The veteran spinner’s figures read 13-1-57-2, his third strike underscoring Adelaide’s spin-friendly conditions. Earlier, Lyon removed Zak Crawley (85, stumped) and Harry Brook (30, bowled), exploiting the turn to dismantle England’s middle order. This “special delivery” echoed Lyon’s Adelaide mastery, where he has historically tormented England.​

The ball from Nathan Layon to Ben Stokes. Absolute peach 🍑 #Ashes2025

— Kashif (@KashifNdmCric) December 20, 2025

Also WATCH: Marnus Labuschagne grabs a screamer to remove Ollie Pope on Day 4 of the third Ashes 2025-26 Test in Adelaide

Australia moved to the brink of a decisive victory in the Ashes 2025–26 as England slipped deeper into trouble under the lights, reaching 194/6 after 53.5 overs in their chase. Still needing 241 runs with only a minimum of 14.1 overs left, England found themselves suffocating under relentless pressure, reflected in a modest scoring rate of 3.60. Pat Cummins led from the front with a superb spell of 3 for 24 from 10 overs, ripping through the top order by removing Ben Duckett for 4, Ollie Pope for 17 and the prized wicket of Joe Root for 39. The final phase before stumps summed up England’s plight, as they managed just 43 runs while losing three wickets in the last 10 overs.

The match has largely followed Australia’s script from the outset. On Day 1, the hosts piled up 326 for 8, built around a fluent century from Alex Carey (106) and a composed 82 from Usman Khawaja. England responded on Day 2 with 213 for 8 at stumps, with Ben Stokes’ gritty 83 and Jofra Archer’s 51 providing resistance. Australia then tightened their grip on Day 3, cruising to 271 for 4 on the back of a dominant Head innings. Head later turned it into a commanding 170, striking 16 fours and two sixes, while Carey added 72 as Australia were bowled out for 349. Although Archer’s five-wicket haul in the first innings briefly lifted England’s hopes, Cummins’ incisive captaincy and bowling have left Australia just four wickets away from sealing the urn.

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