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, leaving fans and critics alike questioning if there's any way back from this abyss.
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 most self-inflicted collapse in recent Ashes history? England's day started with promise but quickly unraveled into a masterclass of how not to play Test cricket. Facing a 177-run deficit, England's second innings began under the twilight glow of the pink ball, reaching 45-0 in six overs. Yet, as the Queensland night intensified, so did Australia's grip on the match.
And this is the part most people miss... While Ben Duckett's dismissal to Scott Boland's scuttler was unlucky, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley's reckless drives gifted Michael Neser easy return catches. Even Joe Root, usually England's rock, edged Mitchell Starc, and Harry Brook's nick to Boland further exposed England's fragility. Jamie Smith's drive, Starc's 18th wicket of the series, summed up England's day—a rabbit caught in headlights.
Ben Stokes, the architect of past Ashes miracles, stands unbeaten on four alongside Will Jacks, but his team is crumbling around him. Australia, led by Starc's 77 and relentless bowling, kept England in the field for nearly two sessions, amassing 511. The Gabba crowd, dressed as 'Gabbatroopers' in their stormtrooper costumes, reveled in England's misery, a tradition as consistent as England's struggles at this ground since 1986.
A bold question for the audience: Is England's approach to Test cricket fundamentally flawed, or is this just a blip in their Bazball revolution?
England's predicament is largely self-inflicted—wasteful batting, wayward bowling, and dropped catches. Australia, despite missing key players like Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, delivered a clinic in Test match dominance. Their batting was ruthless, their bowling relentless, and their fielding flawless. No team has scored 334 in the first innings of a day-night Test and lost, yet Australia made England's effort look pedestrian.
The pitch shows uneven bounce, and showers are forecast for Sunday night, but England won't last long enough to exploit these conditions. Sunday will be about when, not if, Australia seals the win. The same can be said for the series and the Ashes.
A counterpoint to consider: Is Australia's dominance a testament to their skill, or is England simply not rising to the occasion?
Starc, in Cummins' absence, is having the series of his life. His bowling has tormented England, and his batting on Saturday—his highest score in a home Test in nine years—delayed Australia's declaration, ensuring they bowled in the crucial twilight hours. The Starc-Boland partnership, lasting 27.2 overs, was the longest of the series, further grinding England into the dust.
England's captaincy decisions also raised eyebrows. Stokes bowled only seven overs, Jofra Archer five, and Brydon Carse's 4-152 came at a high cost. Will Jacks' single over in the first 97 overs highlighted England's inability to control the game. Starc's strike farming and Australia's resilience—every batter reaching double figures for only the third time in Tests—underscored England's helplessness.
As the Gabbatroopers celebrated another day of Australian dominance, one thing was clear: this is Starc's Ashes. But the bigger question remains—can England recover, or is this the beginning of the end for their Ashes dreams? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
