England Dig In as They Chase Record 435 to Keep Ashes Alive

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Adelaide, Australia: Zak Crawley and Joe Root dug in on Saturday to keep England’s faint Ashes hopes alive as they chase a record 435 to win the third Test against Australia.

At tea, England had reached 106-2, with Crawley unbeaten on 36 and Root on 37, after negotiating the second session with the loss of just Ollie Pope.

England must win to stay alive in the five-match series after suffering crushing eight-wicket defeats in Perth and Brisbane. Australia, as holders, need only a draw to retain the Ashes.

With attendance over the first four days surpassing 200,000 — a record for the Adelaide Oval, which has hosted Tests since 1884 — England face a near-impossible task. No team has ever chased more than 316 at the venue, while the highest successful run chase in Test history remains the West Indies’ 418 against Australia at St John’s in 2003.

Earlier, England took six wickets before lunch to dismiss Australia for 349 in their second innings, despite Travis Head’s brilliant 170 and Alex Carey’s 72.

England had just 10 minutes to bat before the break, but disaster struck in the second over when Ben Duckett edged Pat Cummins to Marnus Labuschagne at second slip for four.

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Number three Ollie Pope, under pressure after struggling throughout the series, failed again, dismissed for 17 after Labuschagne took a stunning one-handed catch off Cummins. Jacob Bethell is waiting in the wings.

Crawley, playing cautiously, faced 80 balls as he stitched together a vital 75-run stand with Root, who needs a big innings to rescue England.

Australia had resumed the day on 271-4, with Head on 142 and Carey unbeaten on 52, and the pair initially prospered against some wayward bowling.

England captain Ben Stokes, who did not bowl on Friday due to fatigue after a gritty 83 with the bat, opened the attack on Saturday. Head quickly reached 150 off 205 balls with a boundary through backward point, drawing a standing ovation from his home crowd.

Chasing a maiden Test double-century, Head went on the attack but was caught in the deep by Crawley off a short ball from Josh Tongue.

Carey added 20 more runs as he eyed back-to-back centuries following his emotional first-innings 106, but he was caught at leg slip by Harry Brook off Stokes. Josh Inglis (10) followed soon after, caught behind by Jamie Smith off Tongue.

With the new ball taken, Brook claimed another slip catch to dismiss Cummins (6), this time off Brydon Carse, who then trapped Nathan Lyon lbw with the next delivery.

Scott Boland was the final wicket to fall, caught and bowled by Jofra Archer. Tongue was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 4-70.