Australia retain Ashes after taking unassailable 3-0 lead

England came up with a spirited effort on Day 5 in a chase of 435 but Australia remained composed and secured an 82-run victory that helped them retain the Ashes in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval as they took an unassailable 3-0 lead. Jamie Smith, Will Jacks and Brydon Carse came up with fighting knocks to give England a sniff but the visitors were eventually bowled out for 352. Mitchell Starc joined Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon with a three-wicket haul of his own to power Australia to their fourth successive Ashes series win at home.

Starting the day at 207 for 6, England's seventh wicket pair were initially troubled by Cameron Green before Smith decided to go on the attack, slog-sweeping Lyon and pulling Green for a couple of sixes. After a brief stoppage for rain, play resumed and the England pair raised a half-century stand as they took England past 250. Smith also got boundaries off Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head, who were bowling with a few overs to go for the new ball, with Lyon having left the field clutching his right hamstring.

Australia took the second new ball straightaway and Smith welcomed it with two successive fours off Cummins as he brought up his fifty. He also hit two fours off Starc before miscuing one to Cummins at wide mid-on trying to slog across the line. He fell for 60, ending a partnership worth 90 that lasted for nearly 30 overs. Australia then lost a review when Starc thought he had trapped Brydon Carse in front. The No.9 supported Jacks in building a steady partnership, as they took England to 309 for 7 at Lunch, needing 126 more.

Post the break, Carse successfully got an lbw decision in Cummins' over overturned and later proceeded to strike a six off Head and a boundary off Scott Boland to bring up the half-century stand with Jacks as the equation came down to double digits. But Starc returned and ended the 52-run association, getting Jacks to drive away from the body, with the resultant edge ending up as a one-handed stunner from Labuschagne just in front of the 'keeper. Boland nearly had Carse's wicket but Green couldn't hold on to a tough one-handed try at gully.

Meanwhile, Starc added another to his tally, his third in the innings, as he had Jofra Archer slashing one to backward point. Boland finally got a wicket in the second innings, getting Josh Tongue to edge to second slip where Labuschagne, this time, took a straightforward catch to complete the game.

Australia's path to victory was set up by Alex Carey's 106, Usman Khawaja's 82 after a late recall to the eleven, and Starc's 54, helping them recover from 94 for 4 to post 371 in the first innings, even as Archer bagged a five-wicket haul. Ben Stokes (83) and Archer (51) then shone with the bat in England's first innings, helping them to 286 after being reduced to 168 for 8 at one stage.

Australia were 149 for 4 at one stage in their second innings before Head (170) and Carey (72) took the side to 349, setting England a daunting task in the fourth innings. Despite Zak Crawley's 85, England lacked substantial partnerships in the chase and went into Stumps on Day 4 at 207 for 6. And despite showing some late fight through Smith, Jacks and Carse, they ended up short on the fifth day.

Brief scores: Australia 371 (Alex Carey 106, Usman Khawaja 82; Jofra Archer 5-53) & 349 (Travis Head 170, Alex Carey 72; Josh Tongue 4-70) beat England 286 (Ben Stokes 83, Jofra Archer 51; Scott Boland 3-45, Pat Cummins 3-69) & 352 (Zak Crawley 85, Jamie Smith 60; Pat Cummins 3-48, Mitchell Starc 3-62) by 82 runs.