All-rounder Cameron Green said on Sunday (December 14, 2025) there was no room for complacency in the third Test this week, conscious that Australia let England bounce back from 2-0 down in the last Ashes series.

Australia were on top in England in 2023, winning at Edgbaston and Lord’s, before the hosts won two of the last three Tests with the other drawn.

Despite the series ending 2-2, Pat Cummins’ side retained the Ashes as holders.

“That’s a good reminder for our team to stay really level,” Green told reporters ahead of the third Test at the Adelaide Oval starting on Wednesday.

“I think you can at times look a bit far ahead, but that’s a great reminder for us to stay as good as we can be and finish it off.”

The odds are stacked in Australia’s favour on home soil after eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, with England winless Down Under since their 2010-11 tour.

Ben Stokes’ side have been widely panned for their lack of fight and perceived poor preparation, with the team under an intense media glare.

A security guard for the team had a run-in with a cameraman on Saturday as they departed Brisbane airport for Adelaide, with pictures showing him seemingly pushing the Channel Seven operator away.

Green said he had sympathy for England.

“You never like getting filmed, especially when you want to get away from it,” he said.

“There’s always sympathy for anyone in life that’s getting filmed in public or in a private space, it’s never a nice feeling.”

Australia opener Usman Khawaja said he had recovered from the back spasms that have plagued him all series.

The 38-year-old did not open in the first Test, scoring just two batting at number four in the first innings, and was ruled out of the second, with Travis Head stepping up spectacularly alongside Jake Weatherald.

Whether he slots back in again at the top remains to be seen.

“I’m feeling 100 (percent),” he told reporters on Saturday. “Obviously, I hope to play. I don’t really know.”

Should selectors stick with Head and Weatherald to open, the 85-Test veteran Khawaja could still bat in the middle order, which would likely mean Josh Inglis making way.

Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the Ashes series with hamstring and Achilles injuries.

Hazlewood missed Australia’s two eight-wickets wins over England in Perth and Brisbane but had been expected to return later in the five-match series.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald on Tuesday (December 9, 2025) said the veteran paceman would now be targeting a return for the Twenty20 World Cup early next year.

“He’ll be out of the series and his preparation will then shift toward the World Cup, which is an incredibly important campaign for us,” McDonald said.

“It’s really flat for him. A couple of setbacks we didn’t see coming — we thought he’d play a huge part in the series.”

Hazlewood has been a key member of Australia’s regular bowling attack for a decade.

There was better news for skipper Pat Cummins, who is expected to return for the third test in Adelaide starting Dec. 17 after missing the first two tests while he recovers from a back problem.

The 32-year-old paceman increased his training workload at Allan Border Field in Brisbane while the Australians were playing the second test against England at the Gabba.

He is set to be recalled as captain when the match squad is announced Wednesday. Steve Smith has been leading the Australia XI in the absence of Cummins.

“We feel as though he’ll be as best prepared as can be,” McDonald said. “Us seeing him further advanced, we feel he’ll be really well placed for the challenges of Adelaide.

“We feel as though the simulation in the nets has got him skill ready. His body’s ready to go. Barring anything else happening in the next week, I’d be expecting Pat to be tossing the coin and putting the blazer on.” The under-fire England squad, which needs a win in Adelaide to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes, is taking a few days out this week to rest and relax at one of Australia’s iconic beach towns.

The fourth test starts Boxing Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney will host the fifth test from Jan. 4. England hasn’t won an Ashes test in Australia since the 2010-11 series.

Mitchell Starc, the only regular member of the Australian attack involved in the first two tests, is the leading bowler in the series so far with 18 wickets and has won back-to-back man-of-the-match awards. (AP) PDS PDS

Makeshift opener Travis Head smacked an explosive 69-ball century to power Australia to victory in a high-octane first Ashes Test on Saturday as England meekly surrendered in the Perth Stadium cauldron.

Chasing 205 to win, Head slammed 123 as the hosts romped home on day two by eight wickets in an electric start to the five-match series. Marnus Labuschagne was not-out 51 and Steve Smith on two.

Head’s heroics came on the back of a blistering spell from marauding pace pair Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc after lunch that sparked a stunning England collapse.

The tourists were cruising at 65-1 and building an ominous second-innings lead, but Boland and Starc left them reeling with four wickets in as many overs.

A ruthless Boland accounted for Ben Duckett (28), Ollie Pope (33) and Harry Brook (0) in the space of 11 balls, then two deliveries later Starc sent Joe Root packing for eight.

When Starc removed skipper Ben Stokes (2), England were flailing at 88-6 and the veteran paceman had bagged a 10-wicket haul for only the third time after his first innings 7-58, a career-best.

England were partially rescued by a crucial 50-run stand between Gus Atkinson (37) and Brydon Carse (20) before being rolled for 164 at tea.

When they returned Usman Khawaja again failed to show as opener as he battles back stiffness, with Australia signalling their intent by sending in Head.

Head, who has opened nine times previously in Test cricket, quickly got into his destructive rhythm, crunching some lovely boundaries including big sixes off Carse and Mark Wood.

He made it look easy, making a mockery of the struggles other batsmen had on the bouncy track, bringing up his half-century in 36 balls, passing 4,000 Test runs in the process.

Looking to emulate him, debutant Jake Weatherald also went on the attack, but it cost him, out for 23 after a mistimed pull shot was taken by Ben Duckett off Carse.

An unruffled Head kept the pressure on, slamming four boundaries in one Stokes over and sending a six back over the head of Jofra Archer on his way to a 10th Test ton.

He eventually fell to Carse going for another big hit.

Mitchell Starc stars

Australia resumed on a paltry 123-9 in their first innings and added just nine before Nathan Lyon was removed by Carse for four to leave England with a 40-run advantage.

Stokes was the star of the show, claiming 5-23 off just 36 balls to give England a golden opportunity to win a Test in Australia for the first time since the 2010-11 series.

They had been all out for 172 at the hands of Starc on day one.

Australia were banking on the 35-year-old to emulate his exploits in the second innings and he whipped the sold-out Perth Stadium crowd into a frenzy when he removed Zak Crawley in his first over.

The veteran consigned Crawley to a pair, diving to his left in an incredible feat of athleticism for a memorable caught-and-bowled.

Duckett and Pope settled in, safely reaching lunch at 59-1.

But Scott Boland began to find his radar when they returned.

Duckett edged to Steve Smith in the slips then Pope did the same to wicketkeeper Alex Carey before Brook repeated the feat to Khawaja.

After a first innings duck Joe Root was desperate for runs, but he was no match for the relentless Starc, dragging a thick edge onto his stumps to cap a miserable start to the series.

Brendan Doggett then cleaned up Jamie Smith, (15), Carse and Archer (5).

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc claimed three early England wickets at Perth, and took his 100th wicket in the Ashes.

Overall, Starc became the 21st bowler in Ashes history to take 100 or more wickets. He became the 13th Australian to complete a century of Ashes wickets as well.

Starc has taken 23 Tests to take 100 Ashes wickets.

In the process, Starc equalled Curtly Ambrose’s record of 405 Test wickets.

Starc also has a chance to go past Pakistani great Wasim Akram for taking the most number of Test wickets by a left-arm fast bowler. Wasim Akram has taken 414 wickets in 104 Tests.

Playing in his 100th Test, Mitchell Starc is also a handy left-hand batter having scored 2,322 runs with 11 half-centuries. His highest is 99.