England's hopes of regaining the Ashes are on the verge of disintegration after a punishing second day of the third Test in Adelaide, where they wilted in fierce heat to finish on 213 for eight, a daunting 158 runs behind Australia's first-innings total of 371.
Cummins Leads Relentless Australian Assault
On a day where temperatures soared, Australia's bowling attack, led superbly by returning captain Pat Cummins, applied unrelenting pressure. Cummins, playing his first Test in five months, was instrumental, taking three for 54 and striking crucial blows. His delivery to remove Zak Crawley sparked an early collapse, but the key moment was the dismissal of Joe Root, caught behind probing outside off-stump, which effectively snuffed out English resistance.
The tourists' innings never found fluency. Despite a dogged, unbeaten 45 from 151 balls by Ben Stokes – who survived a blow to the head from Mitchell Starc – and late defiance from Jofra Archer (30 not out), England lost wickets at regular intervals. Nathan Lyon's two quick wickets before lunch saw him overtake Glenn McGrath's Test wicket tally, while Scott Boland (2-31) and Cameron Green provided miserly support.
Snicko Controversy Mars Scorching Day
The searing conditions were matched by rising tempers over the Decision Review System, specifically the Snickometer technology. Following Alex Carey's reprieve on day one, two more contentious incidents erupted in a frenetic period after tea.
The first involved Jamie Smith, given not out for a possible glove to slip. Australia's review was thwarted by apparent syncing issues with the audio, leaving third umpire Chris Gaffeney unable to overturn the decision. A furious Mitchell Starc was heard on the stump mic declaring, "Snicko needs to be sacked."
In a bitter twist, England were then aggrieved when Smith was later given out caught behind, with Gaffeney this time ruling the faint noise was in sync with the ball passing the bat. The dismissal left England 159 for six and sparked boos from the travelling supporters.
Straitjacket Spell Seals England's Fate
England began the day needing quick wickets but instead conceded 45 runs as Starc completed a half-century. When their turn to bat arrived, they found themselves suffocated by the Australian attack's disciplined lines and lengths in sapping heat.
Ollie Pope's rash sweep and Ben Duckett's dismissal to a classic Lyon off-break exemplified a frazzled batting performance. With only the Stokes-Archer partnership offering prolonged resistance, the match – and likely the series – is now firmly in Australia's grasp, setting up a probable 3-0 lead for the hosts.
The tourists now face a monumental task to salvage anything from the match, with their Ashes destiny looking all but sealed under the South Australian sun.
