England’s aspirations in the Ashes series suffered a significant blow on day two of the third Test in Adelaide, as their top-order batsmen crumbled under pressure, leaving their pursuit of Australia’s total in peril. Three rapid wickets saw England slump to 59 for three, amplifying concerns about their batting fragility in a crucial must-win encounter.

Australia had earlier been dismissed for 371, a total deemed moderate on a flat pitch, largely due to a five-wicket haul from England’s Jofra Archer. However, England failed to capitalise on the opportunity to establish a strong platform, instead losing key batsmen in quick succession amidst baking hot conditions that should have favoured their efforts to wear down the Australian attack.

The batting collapse began with Zak Crawley, who departed for just nine runs, caught behind attempting to defend a delivery from the returning Australian captain Pat Cummins. This early setback was swiftly followed by the dismissals of Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett, both of whom failed to build any substantial innings, falling within a mere 15 balls.

Ollie Pope, whose inclusion in the squad had been a subject of considerable debate, endured a brief and unconvincing stay at the crease. He gifted his wicket to spinner Nathan Lyon with a limp flick to short midwicket, raising further questions about his form and future selection in the Test side.

Ben Duckett showed some early promise, striking five boundaries on his way to 29, but his innings was cut short when Lyon produced a delivery that spun past his outside edge, hitting the top of off stump. These dismissals underscored England’s ongoing struggle to counter Australia’s bowling attack and build resilient partnerships.

England’s predicament almost worsened dramatically when their captain and star batsman, Joe Root, on just one run, offered a caught-behind chance off Scott Boland. Root was ultimately spared by a Decision Review System (DRS) review, which, after considerable scrutiny, ruled in his favour, providing England with a momentary reprieve from a potentially devastating situation.

The DRS decision involving Root followed a controversial incident on day one concerning Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey. The TV umpire, Chris Gaffaney, was under intense pressure after an earlier Snickometer error, which saw an obvious outside edge wrongly missed, a mistake later acknowledged by Carey, the system operators, and match referee Jeff Crowe.

In Root’s case, while a nick was evident, the central question revolved around whether the ball had been grounded before reaching Carey’s gloves. After multiple slow-motion replays from various angles, Gaffaney ultimately ruled against the wicketkeeper, allowing Root to continue his innings, a decision that could prove pivotal for England’s slim hopes.

Prior to England’s batting woes, Jofra Archer had completed an impressive performance, securing the final two Australian wickets. He bowled Mitchell Starc for 54 and then trapped Nathan Lyon lbw, bringing Australia’s innings to a close after they had added a further 45 runs to their overnight total. Archer’s efforts, however, were overshadowed by the subsequent batting collapse.

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Keywords: England cricket, Ashes Test, Adelaide Oval, top-order collapse, Jofra Archer, Joe Root, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins