England Fights Back with Smith and Jacks in Thrilling Ashes Test

In a gripping final day of the third Ashes Test, England's Jamie Smith and Will Jacks displayed remarkable resilience, forming a crucial partnership that reignited hopes for the team. With Australia on the verge of victory, England's batters fought hard to chase down a challenging target. As the match unfolded, both teams showcased their skills, making for an exciting conclusion to this historic series. Read on to discover how the match progressed and the standout performances that defined this thrilling encounter.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 21, 2025, 08:20 IST

Resilient Performance from England's Batters

In Adelaide on December 21, England's Jamie Smith played a crucial role with a half-century, forming a 91-run partnership with Will Jacks. This collaboration ignited hopes for the English side as they entered the final day of the third Ashes Test against Australia. The hosts were on the brink of an outright Ashes victory, needing just three wickets, while England required 126 runs to keep their chances alive.

By the end of the first session, England stood at 309/7, with Jacks (38*) and Brydon Carse (13*) still at the crease.

Starting the day at 207/6, England's Jacks and Smith were determined to build a solid foundation. They faced Nathan Lyon and Cameron Green cautiously until Smith launched a slog sweep for six over deep mid-wicket in the 68th over, followed by another six against Green in the 71st over.

After a brief rain delay, Smith became more aggressive, hitting boundaries off Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, helping England reach 250 runs in 77.5 overs. The pair had established a fifty-run partnership off 133 balls.

Smith continued to challenge the Australian bowlers, striking two consecutive fours off skipper Pat Cummins, ultimately reaching his first Ashes fifty in just 80 balls, featuring five fours and two sixes.

The partnership flourished as Smith displayed confidence and power, hitting back-to-back boundaries against Mitchell Starc, who was bowling with the new ball.

However, the excitement led to Smith's downfall as he attempted an unnecessary aerial shot against Starc, resulting in a catch for Cummins and ending his innings at 60 off 83 balls, which included seven fours and two sixes. This wicket came at a crucial moment, leaving England at 285/7 after a significant 91-run partnership.

England crossed the 300-run mark in 86 overs, with Jacks and Carse maintaining their resistance and concluding the session without losing any further wickets.

Earlier, on day four, Australia began at 271/4, with Travis Head (142*) and Alex Carey (52*) responding to England's first innings total of 286, having initially scored 371 after winning the toss. They held a commanding lead of 356 runs.

In the first session, England's bowlers were effective, dismissing Head (170 runs off 219 balls, including 16 fours) and Carey (72 runs off 128 balls, with six fours) as Australia surpassed the 300-run mark. The Australian tail was quickly dismissed, leading to their total of 349 runs, which gave England a daunting target of 435 runs to win.

Josh Tongue (4/70) and Brydon Carse (3/80) were standout bowlers for England, while Jofra Archer, captain Ben Stokes, and Jacks each took a wicket.

During their chase, England faced early setbacks, losing Ben Duckett (4) and Ollie Pope (17) to fall to 31/2.

Joe Root (39 runs off 63 balls, with five fours) and Harry Brook (30 runs off 56 balls, with two fours) formed a promising 78-run partnership but failed to convert their starts into significant scores. Zak Crawley (85 runs off 151 balls, with eight fours) also played a commendable innings but fell victim to a collapse that saw England slip from 177/3 to 194/6, as Lyon and Cummins tested their resolve.

Jacks and Smith ended the fourth day for England at 207/6.

Brief Scores: Australia: 371 and 349 (Travis Head 170, Alex Carey 72, Josh Tongue 4/70) vs England: 286 and 309/7 (Zak Crawley 85, Jamie Smith 60, Pat Cummins 3/43).