NHow did Day 2 of the 3rd Ashes Test go between Australia vs England? — Review, Turning Points & more
Australia maintained their lead over England on Day 2 of the third Ashes Test at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, December 18. The Three Lions are 158 runs down with two wickets remaining in their first innings.
Earlier in the day, Mitchell Starc scored a fantastic half-century, while Jofra Archer finished the Australian innings with a five-for. The Australians scored 371 in 91.2 overs.
In reply, England got off to a good start, with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett combining 37 runs in eight overs. They did, however, lose three wickets for five runs, with Nathan Lyon and Pat Cummins taking the most of the damage.
And with that absolute beauty, Nathan Lyon has passed Glenn McGrath for Test wickets! 564 😱#Ashes | #MilestoneMoment | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/wTofukUsYD
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 18, 2025
Joe Root got himself a start but failed to make it count. Harry Brook and Ben Stokes forged an important 56-run stand for the fifth wicket to resurrect the England innings. After Brook departed, Jamie Smith played a counter-attacking knock, which only lasted 26 balls and yielded 22 runs.
Stokes played a defiant knock, while Will Jacks and Brydon Carse were dismissed in quick succession. Jofra Archer gave Stokes some much-needed company after England had slumped to 168/8. They helped the tourists avoid the follow-on.
Stokes and Archer’s partnership yielded 45 runs off 83 balls, as England finished on 213/8 in 68 overs. They are still a long way behind in the Test match.
Top batting performance — Ben Stokes
England captain Ben Stokes curbed his natural instinct, which is to attack the bowlers, and dug deep to keep his team in the Test match. At the end of the day, he batted for 151 balls and scored an unbeaten 45, hitting three boundaries.
Top bowling performance — Pat Cummins
Australian captain Pat Cummins performed brilliantly with the ball, bagging a three-for. He took the important wickets of Crawley, Root, and Smith. Interestingly, all three dismissals were catches taken by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Pat Cummins gets the prized scalp of Joe Root just after lunch!#Ashes | #PlayoftheDay | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/2iRnD0Wcs3
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) December 18, 2025
Records Broken and Major Milestones Achieved
- Ben Stokes’ 45* is the lowest score for any England batter off the first 150 balls of an innings in the Bazball era.
- Nathan Lyon moved past Glenn McGrath to become Australia’s second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
- Pat Cummins dismissed Joe Root for the 12th time in Test cricket. No other bowler has dismissed the legendary batter more times in the longest format.
India
