A defiant England display with bat and ball on the fourth day in Adelaide has delayed, but not derailed, Australia's seemingly inevitable march towards victory in the third Ashes Test. The tourists, facing a monumental first-innings deficit, showed remarkable resilience to set the hosts a target of 281. However, with all ten second-innings wickets remaining, Australia require just 141 more runs on the final day to take a decisive 2-0 series lead.
Stokes and Pope Lead England's Second Innings Resistance
England began the day in a perilous position, still 221 runs behind Australia's first-innings total with only six wickets standing. Any hopes of a miraculous escape rested heavily on the shoulders of captain Ben Stokes and the in-form Ollie Pope. The pair did not disappoint, compiling a crucial partnership that shifted the momentum, however briefly.
Stokes, playing with characteristic aggression, scored a rapid 65 from just 72 deliveries, including 10 fours and a six. Pope provided more measured support, anchoring the innings with a patient 58. Their efforts, supported by a late flurry from the lower order including a valuable 28 from Mark Wood, allowed England to post a competitive second-innings total of 312 all out. This left Australia needing 281 to win, a target that seemed well within reach on a still-good batting surface.
Australian Openers Navigate Tense Evening Session
England's bowlers, energised by their batting fightback, needed early wickets to apply genuine pressure. The new-ball pair of James Anderson and Ollie Robinson bowled with discipline and menace in a tense final session under the Adelaide Oval lights.
Despite several close calls and playing-and-missing on numerous occasions, Australian openers Usman Khawaja and David Warner survived the onslaught. They navigated a tricky 20-over period to reach stumps at 140 for 0, having already carved nearly half the required runs from the target. Khawaja finished the day unbeaten on 71, with Warner on 64 not out, putting Australia in a supremely commanding position.
The Final Day: A Mountain to Climb for England
As the teams prepare for the final day's play, the equation is starkly simple. Australia require only 141 more runs with all ten wickets intact. Barring a dramatic and unprecedented collapse, or significant intervention from the weather, an Australian victory appears to be a mere formality.
For England, the task is monumental. They need to take ten wickets while preventing Australia from scoring at a rate of just 2.82 runs per over. The pitch, while still offering some assistance to the bowlers, has shown no signs of dramatic deterioration. England's only hope lies in a spell of inspired, penetrative bowling with the new ball first thing in the morning. The performance on day four proved they have the spirit to fight, but overcoming Australia's formidable position will require something truly extraordinary to keep the Ashes series alive.
