Mitchell Starc has made a compelling case for all-rounder status late in his career, scoring a half-century and taking two wickets under the Gabba lights to edge Australia closer to victory by the end of day three in the second Ashes Test on Saturday.
Lower-order batsman Starc delivered a remarkable 77 from 141 balls, helping Australia secure a 177-run advantage. His performance with the pink ball left England struggling at 134 for six at stumps, still 43 runs away from forcing Australia to bat again.
Ben Stokes and Will Jacks remained unbeaten on four, tasked with salvaging some pride for an England team that floundered both with bat and ball.
England has faced many setbacks on Australian soil since their last Test win in Sydney 15 years ago, but day three at the Gabba stands out for its infamy.
They began the day hopeful of containing Australia, who led by 44 runs with four wickets in hand.
By the close, they were demoralized, with Australia posting 511 runs before slicing through England’s batting lineup with ease.
Stokes’s side is now facing a daunting 2-0 series deficit, a scenario only overcome once in Test history by Don Bradman’s Australia in the 1936/37 Ashes.
NIGHT-SESSION COLLAPSE
Michael Neser and Scott Boland supported Starc with two wickets each, as England lost 6-89 in a disastrous night session in front of 35,574 spectators.
The collapse followed a promising start by openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, who reached a 45-run partnership in six overs before dinner.
“It was great fun. We expected the ball to come alive in the night session and aimed to deliver as many balls in the right areas as possible. We bowled pretty well,” said Boland, who bowled Duckett (15) and had Harry Brook (15) caught behind.
Neser missed a difficult caught-and-bowled opportunity to dismiss Duckett but succeeded in removing Crawley (44) and Ollie Pope (26), both falling to loose drives.
Joe Root (15) also erred, sending a nick to wicketkeeper Alex Carey off Starc’s bowling, who later took Jamie Smith’s wicket for four.
Starc now has 18 wickets in the series’ two tests.
Earlier, the focus was on Starc’s batting prowess.
He achieved his 11th Test fifty and fifth against England, complementing his six first-innings wickets.
Starc hit 13 fours and partnered with tailender Boland (21 not out) for a record 75-run ninth-wicket stand at the Gabba.
Starc eventually holed out after a misjudged slog, allowing Brendan Doggett (13) and Boland to extend the innings for another seven overs until Doggett edged Jacks’ spin to close the innings.
Australia added 133 runs for the day after resuming on 378 for six, denying England a chance to bat in safer daylight conditions.
Carey, having been dropped twice on day two, scored 63, one of five half-centuries in Australia’s first innings.
Seamer Brydon Carse ended with 4-152 for England, conceding over five runs per over, while Stokes proved nearly as costly for his three wickets.
Regarding England’s shot selection, coach Marcus Trescothick defended the batters in post-match interviews.
“Sometimes we get it right and dominate the opposition,” he said.
“And when we don’t… we play bad shots, and that gets noticed. It is what it is. You’ve got to have some way of trying to play the game.”
