England in tatters after dismal day in Brisbane

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 tormented the visitors with the bat and then applied overwhelming pressure with the ball.

To the delight of a baying Gabba crowd and amid the intense atmosphere of a Queensland night, England were left in disarray at 134-6—still 43 runs behind. Defeat inside three days was narrowly avoided.

Facing a first-innings deficit of 177, England began their second innings in the twilight against the pink ball with some promise, reaching 45-0 from six overs at the dinner break. But, as ever, England proved incapable of batting long enough, and mistakes were inevitable.

Ben Duckett could consider himself unlucky to be bowled by a scuttler from Scott Boland, while Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley both played feckless drives to be caught and bowled by Michael Neser. Even Joe Root was guilty of edging Mitchell Starc, Harry Brook nicked Boland, and Jamie Smith became the latest England batsman to fall attempting a drive off Starc.

Ben Stokes has engineered unimaginable Ashes escapes in the past, but this will not be one of them. His team is crumbling around him. The captain remains unbeaten, with him and Will Jacks both on four.

Earlier, Australia were led by a brilliant 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 compile a formidable 511. It was a slow roast in the Brisbane sunshine, and England’s collapse that followed was utterly predictable.

Only five days into this series, England are at a point of no return. There seems little chance of a comeback from 2-0 down, particularly for a team that has not won in this country for almost 15 years.

What makes England’s predicament even more frustrating is that it is largely self-inflicted. They have been wasteful with the bat, wayward with the ball, and careless in the field.

This is not a great Australia team, and the hosts are missing a number of key players. Yet they are giving England a masterclass in how to win Test matches. Their batting was ruthless, their bowling relentless, and they took every chance offered.

No team has made as many as England’s 334 in the first innings of a day-night Test and lost, yet Australia put that effort into perspective. The pitch is showing signs of uneven bounce, and showers are forecast for Sunday night. England will not last long enough to use either to their advantage.

Sunday will be a matter of when, rather than if, Australia will win this match. The same can be said for the series—and the Ashes. (BBC Sport)