England were dragged to the edge of an Ashes nightmare as Travis Head’s commanding century tightened Australia’s stranglehold on the third Test in Adelaide, leaving the visitors staring at their quickest series defeat in more than a century.
By stumps on day three, Australia had surged to 271-4 in their second innings, extending their overall lead to a daunting 356 runs. With England already two Tests down, defeat on Saturday would see the Ashes decided in just 10 days of cricket — something not seen since 1921, when Australia wrapped up the urn in England in only eight days of play.
Head’s innings felt inevitable, relentless, and deeply symbolic.
The left-hander was dropped on 99 by Harry Brook at gully, then endured eight agonising deliveries stranded one run short of his century. When it finally came — a lofted drive off Joe Root straight down the ground for four — the Adelaide Oval erupted. It was Head’s fourth consecutive Test hundred at his home venue, another reminder of how comfortable he looks tormenting England in this series.
Any fleeting English hope had already been extinguished earlier in the day.
Captain Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer produced a defiant morning stand, adding 106 for the ninth wicket — England’s highest ninth-wicket partnership in Australia since 1924. Stokes ground his way to a dogged 83, while Archer struck a confident 51, his maiden Test half-century. Their resistance helped England crawl to 286 all out, still 85 runs behind on first innings but at least offering a sliver of belief.
That belief didn’t last long.
Australia briefly wobbled at 53-2 and again at 149-4, moments where England dared to imagine a collapse. Instead, Head slammed the door shut. He added 84 with Usman Khawaja, who chipped in with 40, and then forged an unbroken 122-run stand with Alex Carey, who finished the day unbeaten on 52 and eyeing a second century in the match.
England tried everything. Packed off-side fields. Different bowling combinations. Even Joe Root’s off-spin. Nothing worked. Head found gaps, lifted over the top, and waited patiently for loose deliveries to punish.
The dropped catch by Brook, off Archer’s bowling, felt like a defining moment — not just of the innings, but possibly of the series.
Beyond the scoreboard pressure, England face growing concerns about Ben Stokes’ fitness. The all-rounder has yet to bowl in Australia’s second innings, and at times looked physically distressed in the field. For a side already being outplayed, the absence of their captain as a bowling option only deepens the crisis.
Realistically, England’s fate was sealed on day two with the bat. Since then, this Test has felt like a slow, unavoidable slide. Despite courage and commitment, they are being comprehensively outclassed — a brutal examination of the Bazball philosophy under extreme conditions.
Now, England’s most realistic target may be survival rather than salvation: extending the match into Sunday to avoid an ignominious place in Ashes history. Individual battles also loom large, with players like Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, and Jamie Smith needing runs to ease mounting pressure on their places.
For Australia, the story is simpler. Travis Head’s promotion to opener earlier in the series has proven a masterstroke, setting the tone for dominance they have never relinquished. At Adelaide, on his home turf, he once again became the face of England’s torment.
Unless something extraordinary happens, England will soon be tasked with chasing a record-breaking total just to keep the Ashes alive — a challenge that currently feels beyond reach.
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