Australia vs England Live Cricket Score, 2nd Ashes Test Day 3 Live Updates

If cricket matches were to be decided by reading scorecards, then don't even turn up for Day 4. Because that's what the scorecard says with England 6 down and still 43 adrift. But let's just focus our minds to where Australia were at the end of Day 2. They added 133 runs for their last 4 wickets and with Stokes and Jacks still there as the visitors' last recognized batting pair, England would look forward to do the same. If they do manage to play out the first two sessions, they could possibly end up with a lead of over 100. With the cracks on the pitch opening up rapidly, batting is only going to get tougher. So you never know, any target in excess of 100 could be tough for the Aussies to chase. Will Australia be able to wrap things up quickly in the afternoon? Or will England show their grit and make the Aussies work hard? To add some spice to the drama, there are some thundershowers forecast for Sunday. That means, if England bat well, they could force a Day 5 too! Join us on Sunday, 7th December, 2025, for all the action from Day 4 of this second Test. The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 4 am GMT but our buildup will begin well in advance. So do tune in early. In the meanwhile, you can catch all the action from the India-South Africa series. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

Australia's SCOTT BOLAND is up for a chat with Isa Guha alongside the boundary. On being asked to describe how he was feeling, Boland describes taking 6 wickets in a session as 'fun', stating that the team's plans had worked well. He attributes the swing to the pitch and the conditions under the lights, which were favouring the bowlers. Boland is also pleased with his performance, highlighting his 75-run stand with Starc and the couple of wickets he took as notable moments. On what he liked more, his batting earlier or his bowling in the night, Scott smiles and says that he would take both. Ends by saying that he enjoyed his time with the bat alongside Starc at first and then with Doggett.

What went wrong for England? Don't know. A bit of luck and one of Australia's inside edges would have found the stumps when Starc and Boland were batting. A bit of responsibility and they might have been just 2 or 3 down heading into Day 4. Instead, they find themselves against the wall again, trailing by 43 runs and 4 wickets in the bank.

Pope played a rash shot which resulted in his dismissal and the tide changed. Suddenly, the ball started to move around, the cracks started to open up on the pitch and the English batters found themselves unsure of their footwork. 90/1 became 128/6 in the span of around 15 overs and 90 minutes. Michael Neser triggered the start and after that, it was Boland and Starc doing their bit towards the end. The trio managed 2 wickets apiece while Brendan Doggett was unlucky not to get a wicket after his terrific start to the final session.

To be very honest, Australia were all over the shop with the new ball. They just allowed England to get away but after the Dinner break came back hard. They managed to get rid of Ben Duckett but there was another momentum swinger after that. Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope got to business after a scratchy start from the latter and it was looking all hunky dory at 90/1 around the 17th over. And then, it just happened, as it most often does in night sessions.

After Australia were criticized for their over-aggressive approach on Day 2, they earned praises from all corners of the world for grinding England out on Day 3. They batted for 44.3 overs for their last 4 wickets, adding 133 vital runs. Of that tally, Starc and Boland batted doggedly for nearly 28 overs, sharing a 75-run stand for the 9th wicket, which literally blew the wind over England's sails. But then, came the momentum changer once again. Despite the sorry day with the ball, the English openers came out all guns firing, racing to 45/0 by Dinner in just 6 overs.

If Day 2 was termed as horror by some cricketing pundits for England, Day 3 can be called as frustrating. The word frustrating is used because the visitors did not bowl that badly. Yes, they were favouring the short side a bit too often with the second new ball and came unstuck against Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland. They needed 2 wickets with Australia's lead showing 82. More than 2 hours later, they were staring at a deficit of 177 in their first innings.

6th of December, 2025 will show up as a Saturday in every calendar. But as far this Ashes is concerned, it will be renamed as 'Starc'day. A fine 77 with the bat and then, after a sluggish start with the ball, finishing the day with 6-2-12-2 in his last spell.

No drama. On a length, outside off, angling away, Will Jacks shoulders arms. That will be STUMPS ON DAY 3. ENGLAND ARE 134/6, TRAIL BY 43!

Final ball of the day. Any more drama left?