Australia have retained the Ashes after defeating England by 82 runs on the final day of the third Test in Adelaide, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
A Daunting Chase Falls Short
Set a mammoth target of 435 to win and keep the series alive, England's batting lineup was bowled out for 352 in their fourth innings. The defeat means England have now gone 18 Tests without a victory, losing 16 and drawing two of those matches. The required total of 435 was 17 runs higher than the existing world record chase and 57 more than any England side has ever successfully pursued.
A Historic and Humbling Defeat
The loss in Adelaide confirms the Ashes urn will remain in Australian hands. The series was lost in just 11 days of cricket, matching the unwanted record set by Nasser Hussain's England squad in the 2002-03 tour for the fastest surrender of the Ashes in a five-match series. England lost the first Test in two days, the second in four, and the third after a full five days of play.
England captain Ben Stokes admitted the result was painful for his team. "We obviously came here with a goal in mind and we haven't been able to achieve it. It hurts and it sucks," Stokes said. He acknowledged Australia's superiority, stating they "outdid us on a much higher level," but found some positives in England's fourth-innings effort.
Questions Over Leadership and Future
The comprehensive nature of Australia's victory, securing the series with two Tests still to play, is expected to lead to intense scrutiny of the England leadership. Questions will inevitably be asked about the futures of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum following a string of underwhelming performances that dashed the high expectations placed on the team before the series began.
England must now regroup to try and avoid a 5-0 series whitewash in the fourth and fifth Tests, which will be played over the coming weeks. The wait to regain the Ashes will extend for at least another two years, until the next series is played in England.
