England 334 & 134 for 6 (Crawley 44, Neser 2-27, Boland 2-33, Starc 2-48) trail Australia 511 (Starc 77, Weatherald 72, Labuschagne 65, Carse 4-152) by 43 runs
Mitchell Starc continued his remarkable Ashes 2025-26 after stonewalling a weary England attack amid Brisbane’s stifling humidity before dismissing Joe Root under the lights as Australia finished day three on the brink of a comprehensive second Test victory.
Just five days into this much-hyped series, England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes look forlorn although skipper Ben Stokes survived a tough period before stumps.
The situation is grim for England after spending more than half a day wilting in the heat before losing six wickets under the lights in the final session. Quicks Scott Boland and Michael Neser, perhaps justifying his controversial selection over offspinner Nathan Lyon, had the pink ball zipping around on the Gabba surface.
But the standout of the day was again Starc, who is submitting an Ashes series for the ages after he top-scored with 77 off 141 balls to help Australia secure a sizable 177-run first innings lead. It meant England’s second innings started late in the second session amid the dipping sun as the floodlights took over.
Starc did look gassed after his batting effort as Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett finally managed to survive the opening over for the first time in the series.