The Gabba’s relentless Gabba heat scorched more than the pitch on December 6, 2025— it incinerated England’s fragile Ashes dreams. Day three of the second Test unfolded as a masterclass in collapse for Ben Stokes’ side, who limped to 134-6 in their second innings, still trailing Australia’s 511 by 43 runs at stumps. What began with cautious hope after Joe Root’s defiant first-innings 138* dissolved into a procession of dismissals, fueled by Mitchell Starc’s all-round sorcery and Australia’s unyielding attack. Trailing 1-0 after Perth’s eight-wicket rout, England’s Ashes 2025 Brisbane collapse now teeters on the edge of a 2-0 chasm, with day four’s follow-on looming like a guillotine. For cricket fans dissecting every Ashes second Test 2025 twist, this wasn’t a setback—it was a shattering indictment of Bazball’s limits Down Under, leaving the urn’s retrieval a fading mirage amid Brisbane’s unforgiving glare.
As the pink ball swung under twilight, England’s top order evaporated: Zak Crawley (44), Ollie Pope (26), Joe Root (15), Harry Brook (15), and Jamie Smith (3) tumbling in a haze of poor shots and probing bounce. Stokes (4*) and Will Jacks (4*) resume unbeaten, but with Australia eyeing a declaration and a 65-run chase, survival feels futile. Starc’s 77 and 2-48 bookend a day of dominance, his 12th Test fifty-and-five-for combo echoing Mitchell Johnson’s 2013-14 terror. As Nasser Hussain lamented on Sky Sports, “Out-thought and out-played—England’s crumbling around Stokes.” With three Tests left, the series hangs by a thread; can the tourists summon a miracle, or is this the Bazball era’s Australian epitaph?
Dawn of Despair: England’s Second Innings Implodes Under Australian Fire
Day three dawned with England nursing a 177-run deficit after Australia’s 511—Starc’s gritty 77 off 141 anchoring their tail, following Jake Weatherald’s debut 72 and Marnus Labuschagne’s 65. Brydon Carse’s 4-152 and Stokes’ 3-113 offered glimmers, but Gus Atkinson’s breakthrough—nicking Alex Carey for 63—came too late. Resuming at 0-0 in their second dig, England’s openers faced a pink-ball beast softened by morning sun but revived under lights.
The morning session hinted at resistance: Crawley and Duckett (48-run stand) ground out 48 before Duckett edged Michael Neser to Steve Smith for 22—England’s first “English” wicket of the series, per ABC News. Pope joined, adding 42 for the second before Pope’s bat flew mid-pull off Scott Boland, caught by Smith for 26—a comical dismissal underscoring frayed nerves. Crawley’s 44 anchored the top, but Neser’s nipper squared him up for 44, the edge flying to Carey—3-97, trailing by 80.
Lunch at 90-2 offered respite, but the afternoon scorched illusions. Root, hero of day one, fell to Starc’s inswinger for 15, trapped lbw—his first-innings ton a distant memory. Brook’s aggressive 15 ended via Boland’s bouncer, gloved to Carey; Smith’s 3 lasted two balls, bowled by Starc’s yorker—5-123 in 29 overs. Tea at 128-5, but twilight claimed Smith (0) off Neser’s seam, stumps at 134-6. England’s 3.96 run rate masked frailty: 35 overs, six wickets, no partnership over 48.
| England’s Second Innings Wickets (Day Three) | Batsman | Score | Bowler | Fall of Wicket |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Duckett | 22 | Neser | 1-48 (7.4 ov) | Edge to Smith |
| Ollie Pope | 26 | Boland | 2-90 (17.1 ov) | Gloved pull |
| Zak Crawley | 44 | Neser | 3-97 (21.2 ov) | Caught Carey |
| Joe Root | 15 | Starc | 4-121 (26.3 ov) | LBW inswinger |
| Harry Brook | 15 | Boland | 5-123 (29.3 ov) | Gloved bouncer |
| Jamie Smith | 3 | Neser | 6-128 (32.3 ov) | Bowled off-stump |
This table captures the England Ashes collapse Brisbane, a top-order implosion costing 100+ runs.
Australia’s Ruthless Efficiency: Starc’s Sorcery and Field’s Fury
While England flailed, Australia purred. Starc’s day-three double—77 runs, 2-48—elevated his series to mythical: 12-123, 77 runs, first Aussie fifty-and-five since Johnson’s 2013-14. His morning resistance frustrated England’s seam—141 balls, 7 fours—before twilight yorkers felled Root and Smith. Boland (2-33) and Neser (2-27) complemented, their lengths unerring on a pitch cracking under sun.
Fielding sealed supremacy: Smith’s magnetic slips (three catches), Carey’s gloves (two), Labuschagne’s day-two screamer (Archer). England’s five drops—Head (3, Jamie Smith), Inglis (Duckett), Neser (Carse), Carey drive (Root fingertip), Carey first-ball (Duckett)—cost 150+ runs, per Guardian analysis. As Tim Paine quipped on Fox Cricket, “England’s hands butterfingered; ours steel.” Australia’s 4.35 first-innings rate built 511—Weatherald 72, Labuschagne 65, Smith 61, Carey 63—exposing England’s attack: Carse 4-152, Atkinson 1-114.
The contrast? Stark. Australia’s controlled aggression vs. England’s tentative Bazball—shot selection (hooks to bouncers), mental fragility (post-Perth scars). Hussain: “Bazball’s joy evaporated—out-Bazballed by grit.”
Bazball Under Siege: Tactical Flaws and Mental Meltdown Exposed
Since 2022, Stokes-McCullum’s revolution yielded 19/30 wins, but Australia’s fortress cracks it. Day three’s 6-65 post-lunch echoed Perth’s 164 all out—poor adaptation to bounce (Gabba’s 2025 average 8.2m/second). Selection? Jacks’ debut spin unused; Archer’s yorkers (1-27) promising but isolated. Stokes’ captaincy—aggressive fields yielding edges—faltered amid drops.
Mentally, scars fester: 2010-11’s 3-1, 2017-18’s 4-0. Root’s lbw symbolized fragility—his 40th ton day one, now series 15 average. Tuchel-like introspection needed? Stokes post-stumps: “Character test—fight tomorrow.” But with follow-on at 356, day four’s tail (Carse 3*, Archer 0*) faces Starc’s fire.
Broader series: Australia’s no-three-loss streak since 1988 intact; England’s 0 WTC points from Perth. Adelaide (Dec 12-16) looms—last win 2010. As Telegraph’s Scyld Berry warned, “Tyre repair shop off Vulture Street—England’s tour heading there.”
| Key Stats: Australia vs England Day Three | Australia (1st Inns) | England (2nd Inns) |
|---|---|---|
| Runs Scored | 186 (morning session) | 134 (full day) |
| Wickets Taken | 1 (Carse: Neser) | 6 (lost) |
| Run Rate | 4.35 overall | 3.96 |
| Catches/Drops | 4/0 | 3/5 |
This comparison underscores Ashes Brisbane day three chasm—Australia’s poise vs. England’s peril.
Road to Redemption? Day Four’s Desperate Stand
Stumps left England 43 shy, Stokes-Jacks unbeaten but burdened. Declaration risk? Australia, 69-2 chasing 65 on day four (Dec 7), but lead’s luxury allows pressure. England’s miracle: 300+ lead, then bowl out Aussies under 334. Realistic? Tail’s fragility (241 all out, losing 4-17 from 224-6) says no. Starc’s cramp-treated hand signals full throttle.
Stokes’ history—2019 Headingley heist—offers hope, but Brisbane’s 1987 last English win feels ancient. Pundits predict 2-0: ABC’s Geraint Jones: “England on brink—Bazball lacks Australia’s edge.” Fans’ despair? Forums buzz “scarring deeper than 2013-14.”
Ashes Legacy: A Series Slipping Away
England’s Ashes hopes 2025 flicker amid Brisbane’s ruins. Perth’s two-day farce, now this—series whitewash whispers. Yet, Stokes’ defiance endures: “We’ll stick to principles,” per Trescothick. Adelaide’s pink ball awaits; victory there levels at 1-1. But day three’s debacle—collapses, drops, doubt—scar deeper than scoreboard.
For England, it’s reckoning: adapt or perish. Root’s ton a lone beacon; collective fire needed. As Guardian’s Vic Marks mused, “Bazball’s joy vs. Australia’s graft—Gabba exposes truth.” The urn gleams in Sydney, but Brisbane’s shadow looms long. Day four dawns: resurrection or requiem? Cricket’s cruel beauty holds court.
