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It’s been a harrowing start to the series for Brendon McCullum’s men, who have taken refuge at the beach town of Noosa following two humiliating defeats.
A chaotic first test saw both teams lose the plot early on, as no fewer than 19 wickets fell on the opening day. The match – which was the first Ashes contest since 1921 to be completed within 48 hours – took a decisive turn when Travis Head reported to the crease, as the left-hander proceeded to deliver a quick-fire 123 to move Australia into an unassailable lead. The hosts ended up winning by eight wickets, leaving Ben Stokes to lament on a dismal display at the Perth Stadium.
The same scoreline would repeat itself in Queensland last week, although the Baggy Greens unsurprisingly took a little longer to finish the job. Joe Root delivered a long-awaited first century on Australian soil to help England achieve a respectable first innings total, but Australia responded by racking up a colossal 511 runs in 117 overs.
The visitors’ cause was undermined by some sloppy bowling and a succession of dropped catches, although Brydon Carse claimed an excellent four-wicket haul amidst an otherwise disastrous few sessions with the ball.
Despite the best efforts of Ben Stokes and Will Jacks, who formed a resilient 96-run partnership across a 37-over period, England could only muster a further 241 runs.
This gave Australia an exceptionally low target to hit, with the required 65 runs delivered by a combination of Head, Weatherald, Labuschagne and Smith before the conclusion of day four.
Andrew McDonald’s side now have a golden opportunity to wrap up the series in Adelaide, but it seems the urn is destined to remain Down Under regardless of this week’s outcome.
England must somehow regroup amid a torrent of criticism from fans and former players, while also trying to find a way to win a test on Australian soil for the first time in almost 15 years.
The third test will be available to watch on TNT Sports 1, the discovery+ app, and all bet365 platforms.
Australia vs. England: Key information
Date: Tuesday, 16th December (until Sunday 21st December)
Start time: Tuesday, 23.30 (BST)
Format: Five-day test match
Venue: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide (South Australia)
Umpires: Jeff Crowe, Nitin Menon, and Ahsan Raza (4th Umpire: Shawn Craig)
TV Umpire: Chris Gaffaney
TV Channels/Live Stream: TNT Sports 1 (TV), discovery+ (TV & app), bet365 (live stream)
Odds: Australia: 4/9, Draw: 11/1, England: 13/5
Odds provided by bet365
Australia v England team news
Both coaches face selection headaches ahead of this week’s potentially decisive third test in Southern Australia, although Andrew McDonald may be reluctant to tweak a winning squad. There were several injury updates in the immediate aftermath of the second test, which could have a major influence on the remainder of the series.
Australia team news
The biggest news in the Australian camp is the return of captain Pat Cummins, who missed the opening two tests due to lumbar bone stress in his lower back. As a result, Steve Smith will step back into his familiar role as vice-captain after leading his team to back-to-back triumphs.
Although he was expected to make a full recovery, Josh Hazlewood has now unfortunately been ruled out of the entire series. The ‘Bendemeer Bullet’ strained his hamstring during a recent Sheffield Shield clash before developing an Achilles issue in training.
Hazlewood’s New South Wales teammate Sean Abbott also suffered a hamstring injury in the same match, resulting in him sitting out at least the first three tests.
McDonald must decide whether to re-introduce the legendary Nathan Lyon or stick with Michael Neser, after the South African-born all-rounder produced a sensational performance at the Gabba. Neser claimed five wickets throughout an exhilarating second innings spell, dismissing England’s batters at relevant intervals to thwart his opponent’s momentum.
The Adelaide pitch will undoubtedly reward spin, so the difficult call to swap Lyon for Neser could be made. Meanwhile, Cummins’ replacement, 31-year-old seamer Brendan Doggett, is set to step aside for the incoming skipper. Elsewhere amongst Australia’s bowling ranks, Jhye Richardson is back in training as he continues his rehabilitation from a long-term shoulder problem.
There’s also potentially some reorganisation to be done within the batting department. Travis Head kept his position at the top of the order following his memorable knock in Perth, leading to a successful partnership with fellow headliner Jake Weatherald last time out.
That may close the door for experienced striker Usman Khawaja, who may find himself in the middle order after suffering from back spasms in recent weeks. Marnus Labuschagne is resigned to a place outside the opening two, although he looked far more comfortable at three in Brisbane.
Australia XI to be selected from: Pat Cummins (captain), Steve Smith (vice-captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan
Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser,
Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
Coach: Andrew McDonald
England team news
Brendon McCullum could be forgiven for making a raft of changes in the wake of a nightmare start to the series, but is likely to remain loyal to his tight-knit group.
The Three Lions will return to training following their aforementioned break on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, but it remains to be seen who will be gearing up to play from Tuesday evening.
One player that definitely won’t be involved is Durham ace Mark Wood, who will also be sidelined for the final two tests after aggravating a serious knee injury. Matthew Fisher has been released from Andrew Flintoff’s England Lions squad to provide cover.
There could be a late call-up for Josh Tongue as the Three Lions attempt to revitalise their attack, while Jamie Smith is under pressure to retain his spot after enduring four challenging days at the Gabba.
As well as being dismissed for a duck in the opening innings and tallying just four runs in the next, the England wicket-keeper missed a couple of glorious catching chances and generally looked sluggish behind the stumps. As a result, Pope could be in line to take the gloves.
Although originally a surprise inclusion in McCullum’s squad, Will Jacks might be pushed up the order following his brave batting exploits at the Gabba.
England XI to be selected from: Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob
Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue
Coach: Brendon McCullum
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
TNT Sports is providing exclusive television coverage of the current Ashes series, while viewers with a relevant subscription can access all the action on the discovery+ app. A live stream of the match is also available to bet365 customers, who simply need to log in to their account and navigate to the event page.
Head-to-Head record
England haven’t won an away Ashes test since January 2011, when Alastair Cook delivered a miraculous first innings knock to propel his team to an emphatic victory at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The Three Lions produced a similar scoreline in Adelaide earlier on in the same series, largely thanks to Kevin Pietersen smashing out 227 runs from just 308 balls and a bowling masterclass from deadly duo James Anderson and Graeme Swann.
Odds for Australia vs. England
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.