The Ashes 2025: England's Ashes Dreams Crumble in Brisbane
England's Ashes hopes hang by a thread after a devastating third day in Brisbane, where Australia dominated with both bat and ball, leaving the visitors in disarray.
By
Chief Cricket Correspondent at the Gabba
Updated 2 hours ago
Second Ashes Test, Gabba, Brisbane (Day-Night, Day 3 of 5)
England 334 (Root 138; Starc 6-75) & 134-6 (Crawley 44; Neser 2-27, Boland 2-33)
Australia 511 (Starc 77, Weatherald 72; Carse 4-152, Stokes 3-113)
England trail by 43 runs
But here's where it gets controversial... Is this the end of England's Bazball era? The much-hyped aggressive approach seems to have backfired spectacularly, leaving fans and critics alike questioning its sustainability in Test cricket. And this is the part most people miss—England's inability to adapt to conditions and their recurring batting collapses are self-inflicted wounds that Australia has ruthlessly exploited.
On a day that will be etched in England's long history of struggles at the Gabba—a ground they haven’t conquered since 1986—Australia delivered a masterclass in Test cricket. The hosts first piled on the runs, led by Mitchell Starc's blistering 77, before dismantling England's batting lineup with precision. The Gabba crowd roared as England crumbled to 134-6, still trailing by 43 runs, narrowly avoiding a humiliating three-day defeat.
England's second innings began promisingly under the twilight skies, with the pink ball swinging gently. At 45-0 after six overs, hope flickered. But, as ever, England's batting lacked the resilience to sustain pressure. Ben Duckett's unfortunate dismissal to a Scott Boland scuttler was a rare moment of bad luck, but Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley's reckless drives gifted Michael Neser two return catches. Even Joe Root, usually England's bedrock, edged Starc, while Harry Brook and Jamie Smith fell to poor shot selection.
Controversy Alert: Is England's batting lineup too fragile for the demands of Test cricket? With repeated collapses, it’s hard to argue otherwise. The question now is whether this team can regroup or if deeper structural issues are at play.
Ben Stokes, the architect of past Ashes miracles, stands unbeaten on four alongside Will Jacks, but his team is crumbling around him. Australia, meanwhile, showcased their depth, with Starc's all-round brilliance and a relentless bowling attack that never let England settle.
Earlier, Starc's 77—his highest score in a home Test in nine years—kept England in the field for nearly two sessions, allowing Australia to post a daunting 511. The Brisbane sun sapped England's energy, and their collapse was almost inevitable. The pitch, showing signs of uneven bounce, and the forecast showers for Sunday night offer little hope for a turnaround.
And this is the part most people miss... Australia isn’t even at full strength, missing key players like Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon. Yet, they’ve outclassed England in every department. Is this a testament to Australia’s depth or England’s shortcomings?
England now stare down the barrel of a 2-0 series deficit, a position from which no team has ever recovered in Ashes history. Their predicament is largely self-inflicted—wasteful batting, wayward bowling, and dropped catches. Australia, in contrast, has been clinical, delivering a lesson in how to win Test matches.
The Gabba crowd, known as the 'Gabbatroopers,' reveled in another day of Australian dominance, their Stormtrooper costumes a symbol of their unwavering support. For England, Sunday will be about delaying the inevitable. Australia’s victory feels like a matter of when, not if.
Thought-Provoking Question: Can England salvage anything from this series, or is it time for a complete overhaul? Share your thoughts in the comments—do you think Bazball has a future, or is it a flawed strategy? Let the debate begin!
