Australia have reclaimed the Ashes in stunning fashion, wrapping up the third Test at Adelaide Oval by 82 runs to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The hosts needed just 11 days of cricket across three matches to put the famous urn back in their cabinet, crushing England’s hopes despite a spirited fightback on the final day.

Ashes secured in record time

Australia’s dominance has been nothing short of ruthless. After crushing England by eight wickets in Perth and Brisbane, Pat Cummins’s side completed the job at Adelaide Oval on Sunday, collecting the final four wickets in the second session of day five to seal victory and retain the Ashes with two Tests still to play.

The 11-day completion is the joint second-fastest Ashes series finish in more than a century, matched only by the 1921 series that wrapped up in eight days. It’s a far cry from the pre-series hype that suggested England had their best chance in a generation to win Down Under, and it silenced critics who had labeled Australia a “Dad’s Army” with their weakest side in 15 years.

Australia captain Pat Cummins was understandably elated after the win. “It feels pretty awesome. It wasn’t easy today, but we got it done. It’s an exciting changing room,” Cummins said after the match. He acknowledged the grind of the past two months but stressed that moments like these make it all worthwhile. “That’s when we are at our best… it’s good old-fashioned grind, and I love the toil from all the guys.”

England show fight but fall short again

Chasing a mammoth 435 to win—a target that would have eclipsed the all-time Test record of 418—England at least showed the grit and determination that had been missing in the first two Tests. They reached 352 before Scott Boland removed Josh Tongue to spark wild celebrations among the home crowd.

England resumed day five on 207-6 with Will Jacks on 11 and Jamie Smith on two. Smith came out with aggressive intent, slog-sweeping Nathan Lyon over deep midwicket for six and then banging another off Cameron Green as the Barmy Army broke into Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” The defiance was refreshing, but ultimately insufficient.

After a brief rain interruption, play resumed with Lyon limping off after pulling a hamstring while saving a boundary. The veteran spinner was later seen on crutches, with his participation in the rest of the series now in serious doubt after scans confirmed the injury.

When Mitchell Starc took the new ball, Smith’s attacking approach proved his downfall as he skied one to Cummins at midwicket. Jacks fought valiantly to produce his highest Test score of 47, steering England’s chase below 100 runs needed, but he fell to a spectacular diving catch by Marnus Labuschagne off Starc. Starc then dismissed Jofra Archer before Boland sealed the win by removing Tongue.

Stokes acknowledges the pain but stays defiant

England captain Ben Stokes didn’t shy away from the disappointment, admitting his side was “hurting” and “quite emotional” about losing the Ashes so quickly. “That dream is now over, which is incredibly disappointing. Everyone is hurting… It hurts, it sucks, but we ain’t going to stop,” Stokes said.

However, the England skipper also took some positives from the way his team battled in Adelaide, having demanded more fight going into the match. “That stuff I wanted to see, I’ve seen that this week. I think we can take a lot from this game,” he said.

The harsh reality for England is that they have now gone 18 Tests without winning in Australia, dating back to their last series victory there in 2010-11. Their last three tours have produced one-sided scorelines of 5-0, 4-0, and 4-0, with more of the same looking likely unless there’s a dramatic shift in fortunes at Melbourne and Sydney.

Bazball brutally exposed

England’s “Bazball” style of ultra-aggressive cricket, which brought them success at home and in other conditions, has been thoroughly exposed on Australian pitches. The approach that was supposed to revolutionize Test cricket and help England finally conquer Australia has instead left them embarrassed, outplayed, and searching for answers.

Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad’s pre-series claim that Australia had their weakest side in 15 years now looks laughable. This Australian team—led brilliantly by Cummins and featuring world-class performers across the board—has dismantled England with clinical precision.

The tourists needed a win in Adelaide to keep the series alive, but despite showing more resilience than in the first two Tests, they were again outclassed. Australia’s bowling attack, even without the injured Lyon for part of the match, proved too strong. Boland, Starc, and the rest of the attack combined beautifully to break England’s resistance.

What’s next?

With the Ashes already secured, Australia will look to complete a whitewash or at least extend their dominance in the remaining two Tests at Melbourne (starting December 26) and Sydney (starting January 3). For England, pride and avoiding further humiliation are all that’s left to play for.

The injury to Nathan Lyon could be a concern for Australia, but with the series already won and depth in their spin bowling stocks, they’ll be confident of maintaining their stranglehold. England, meanwhile, must regroup quickly and find a way to salvage something from the tour—or risk further damage to their reputation and morale.

For now, though, the Ashes belong firmly to Australia, who have shown once again why they remain the dominant force in Test cricket on home soil.