A Travis Head masterclass has made sure Australia has stayed on top at Adelaide Oval.
Much like their opponents, England began the day eight wickets down and trailing significantly on first innings. However, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer continued their resistance from the previous evening, passing the 100-run partnership and reducing the deficit to under 100.
Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland eventually broke through, leaving Australia with an 85-run lead and the task of capitalizing on ideal batting conditions to stay ahead.
Early dismissals of Weatherald and Labuschagne kept England interested, but as often happens at Adelaide Oval, the day belonged to the inevitable Travis Head. In partnerships with Khawaja and later Alex Carey, Head registered his fourth consecutive century at the venue, pushing Australia’s advantage into a defendable position with plenty of cricket still to come.
For England, this is a must-win match to keep their season alive. Archer, Carse, and Tongue bowled with pace and bounce but struggled to sustain pressure. Tongue’s two wickets highlighted that a fuller length was the key to success on this surface.
As stumps were called, the two South Australian's remain out in the middle and will continue their innings tomorrow morning.
At the end of play on Day Three, Australia are 4/271 leading by 356 runs.