Former England captain Nasser Hussain believes England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes are fading after another tough day on Day 2 of the third Test against Australia in Adelaide. The Ben Stokes-led side finished the day on 213/8, trailing Australia by 158 runs, with Stokes (45*) and Jofra Archer (30*) at the crease.
England’s batsmen once again failed to make much of an impact against a ruthless Australian attack despite trying to change their approach during the innings. Speaking after the game, Hussain said England were once again struggling despite batting on a good surface.
He pointed to the late partnership between Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer as testament to the quality of the pitchsuggesting that England missed opportunities earlier in the innings.
“Looks like the Ashes are running away after another tough day on a very good pitch. That partnership at the end of the day just shows how good the surface is,” Hussain said on Sky Sports.
Ashes 2025: Highlights of the 3rd Test Day 2
Hussain noted that most of England’s top eight batsmen looked comfortable early on but failed to convert their starts into substantial scores. Apart from Stokes and Harry Brook, the English batting line-up eventually succumbed to sustained pressure from the Australian bowlers.
“England’s front eight – with the exception of Stokes and Harry Brook – looked comfortable for a while but in the end they gave it away under pressure,” he said.
While England’s batting has drawn criticism throughout the series, Hussain emphasized that Australia’s bowlers deserve significant credit for their performances. He credited the visitors for providing a bowling masterclass in Australian conditions.
“They showed England exactly how they bowl here,” Hussain said. “The moment you pitch the ball up, you threaten the stumps. Pat Cummins will pinch it to find the outside edge, Scott Boland will bring it back to hit the inside edge or the stumps, and then you have a world-class spinner in Nathan Lyon, who got past Glenn McGrath today and now has only Shane Warne ahead of him for Australia in Test cricket.”
With Australia continuing to dominate with both bat and ball, England now face an uphill battle to win the Test and stay alive in the series. The Three Lions last tasted victory on Australian soil in 2011 and have lost 15 of their last 17 Tests in the country. With England reeling at 213/8, the onus to orchestrate a comeback now rests on the shoulders of Ben Stokes as he will have to dig himself out of his skin to help his side reduce the 158-run deficit.
– The end
Issued by:
Rishabh Beniwal
Published on:
December 18, 2025
