England’s hopes in the second Test and the Ashes are in tatters after a dismal and depressing third day in Brisbane.
On a Saturday that will sit alongside England’s long history of misery at a ground where they have not won since 1986, Australia tortured the visitors with the bat then applied overwhelming pressure with the ball.
To the delight of a baying Gabba crowd and in the intense atmosphere of the Queensland night, England were left in disarray at 134-6 – still 43 behind. Defeat inside three days was only narrowly avoided.
Faced with a first-innings of deficit of 177, England started their second innings in the twilight against the pink ball with promise – the visitors were 45-0 from six overs at the dinner break.
As ever, England are incapable of batting well enough for long enough, and mistakes were inevitable.
Ben Duckett can feel unlucky to be bowled by a scuttler from Scott Boland, yet Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley both played feckless drives to be caught and bowled by Michael Neser.
Even Joe Root was culpable of edging Mitchell Starc, Harry Brook nicked Boland and Jamie Smith became the umpteenth England player to fall trying to drive Starc.
Ben Stokes has engineered unimaginable Ashes escapes in the past. This will not be one of them and his team is crumbling around him. The captain remains unbeaten, with him and Will Jacks both on four.
Australia were earlier led by 77 from Starc – the pace bowler adding runs to his stellar series with the ball – to keep England in the field for almost two sessions and rack up 511.
It was a slow roast in the Brisbane sunshine and the England collapse that followed was utterly predictable.
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