Ashes Third Test Day Four: Australia Close to Series Win as England Chase Record 435
England were chasing a world-record target of 435 runs to win the third Ashes Test against Australia at Adelaide Oval. After Day Four, Australia held a 2-0 lead in the series and were on the brink of a 3-0 victory.
At stumps, England were 206 for 6 in their second innings, still requiring 229 more runs to prevent a clean sweep. Zak Crawley top-scored for England with 85 runs, supported by Harry Brook's 30 and Ben Duckett's 29. Ollie Pope was dismissed after lunch, and Joe Root fell to Pat Cummins.
Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon each took three wickets in England's second innings. Lyon's dismissals included Ben Stokes, and Cummins had Crawley stumped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Brook's aggressive reverse sweep off Lyon sparked a temporary collapse, with England losing three wickets for 17 runs. The flat, sun-baked conditions at Adelaide Oval offered little assistance to England's chase.
Australia posted 371 in their first innings and 349 in the second. England had scored 286 in their first innings and were trailing significantly at the close of play on Day Four.
