The fifth and final day of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval delivered everything that makes the contest between Australia and England so compelling: fleeting hope, sudden setbacks, controversy, brilliance in the field and, ultimately, the decisive moments that tilted the balance permanently in Australia’s favour. What began as a long-shot English chase briefly flickered into life before being extinguished by poor decision-making, physical tolls, and another act of magic from Marnus Labuschagne as Australia clinched the Ashes on a dramatic final day.
From Jamie Smith’s early counterattack to Nathan Lyon’s injury scare and a dismissal that drew brutal assessments from some of the game’s most respected voices, day five was a snapshot of the thin line between courage and recklessness in Test cricket.
Smith sparks early belief with the old ball
England resumed day five knowing the odds were stacked heavily against them. Chasing a further 228 runs with the second new ball looming and Australia firmly in control, the tourists required something extraordinary. Jamie Smith, despite a summer that had not consistently showcased his talent, initially looked determined to be the man to provide it.
At just 25, Smith already boasts a batting average north of 43, a reminder of his quality despite recent struggles. Late on day four, the aggressive wicketkeeper-batter had looked scratchy, surviving a testing spell from Nathan Lyon to crawl to stumps on two runs from 35 balls. It was a far cry from his natural game, but it laid the platform for what followed.
With 17 overs remaining before the second new ball, Smith emerged with clear intent. He targeted the old ball and the bowlers entrusted with it, slog-sweeping Lyon for a commanding six before launching Cameron Green’s short ball over the rope for another maximum. England’s tempo lifted, and so too did belief.
By the time light drizzle forced players from the field just 35 minutes into the day, Smith had added 23 runs, England had scored 34, and a faint but unmistakable sense of possibility hovered under the grey Adelaide skies.
The Barmy Army finds its moment
The interruption brought with it the loudest cheer of the morning. As the drizzle intensified and umpires led the players from the field, the Barmy Army finally had something to celebrate after four days of fluctuating emotion.
Though clear skies were forecast and few believed the delay would be significant, the stoppage was greeted with enthusiasm on the hill. Songs rang out as English supporters embraced even the briefest pause in play, a reminder that Ashes cricket is as much about atmosphere as it is about numbers on a scoreboard.
As expected, the delay proved largely precautionary. The initial shower lasted only minutes, with most of the 40-minute stoppage taken up by safety considerations rather than genuine weather threat. Play soon resumed, and with it, Australia’s resolve.
A wounded Lyon leaves a gaping hole
Before the rain, England had begun to punish the old ball more consistently. Smith, in particular, found success against both Lyon and Green, striking two sixes that underlined his growing confidence. But that aggression also set the stage for a moment that would have significant consequences for Australia.
As Smith hooked another delivery into the deep, 38-year-old Lyon sprinted across at deep backward square and executed a full-length diving stop. The effort was superb, but the cost was immediate. Remaining on his knees, Lyon clutched his right hamstring and signalled instantly for a substitute.
He left the field accompanied by a trainer and was soon sent for scans. Cricket Australia confirmed shortly after that the most prolific wicket-taker in Test history at Adelaide Oval would play no further part in the match on day five. For Australia, it was a cruel blow at a critical juncture, stripping them of their fourth-innings trump card just as England were building momentum.
A dismissal that changed everything
As Smith and Will Jacks edged towards a 100-run partnership, Australian nerves began to fray. Without Lyon, the visitors sensed opportunity. Smith had already struck two sixes and seven fours, including a pair off a wayward Mitchell Starc, and looked increasingly comfortable.
Then came the moment that turned the day decisively.
Attempting to launch yet another big hit over the leg side, Smith mistimed his shot and sent the ball looping high into the air, straight to Pat Cummins at mid-on. The reaction was instant and brutal.
"Jamie Smith, what are you doing?" former Australia fast bowler Stuart Clark pondered on ABC Sport.
"That is a dreadful shot. I'd expect that from number 11, I'd expect that from number 12.
"The game's there for the taking. [Australia has] got no spinner. That is just poor, poor cricket awareness. Gavaskar blasts Rishabh."
On Channel Seven, Ricky Ponting was equally scathing. Cameras caught the Australian great muttering "What a dope" before he expanded on the error, repeatedly labelling it a "dopey, dopey, dopey" shot.
The criticism continued on ABC Sport, where Darren Lehmann summed up the frustration felt by many watching.
"I've just seen something very stupid," he said.
"He just played normal cricket shots and then all of a sudden wanted to hit one into the Sir Edwin Smith stand off a length.
"That was just a Bazball dismissal. You just don't do that."
The shot felt like a relapse into the worst excesses of Bazball — abandoning patience at the precise moment restraint was required. In an instant, England’s best hope evaporated.
Marnus delivers once more
Despite Smith’s exit, England pressed on and soon moved within 100 runs of an almost unthinkable chase. The tension inside Adelaide Oval was palpable. Australia, without Lyon, suddenly looked vulnerable.
Then, once again, Marnus Labuschagne intervened.
With Will Jacks well set on 47, Starc charged in and induced an edge with a delivery flashed across the right-hander. The ball dropped quickly, angling into a dangerous space between wicketkeeper and first slip. For a split second, it seemed destined to land safely.
Labuschagne, wearing his floppy hat, launched himself left and plucked the ball inches from the turf with his weaker hand. It was his second miracle catch of the match, rivaling his earlier effort and delivering a moment of inspiration Australia did not expect to need on the final day.
Relief washed over the Australian players. Starc, in particular, wore his emotions openly as the breakthrough edged the hosts closer to retaining the urn.
A fitting end to a gripping contest
Day five in Adelaide encapsulated the essence of Ashes cricket: bravery and blunders, physical sacrifice and athletic brilliance, hope and heartbreak compressed into a handful of decisive moments. Jamie Smith showed both sides of his cricketing identity, Nathan Lyon’s injury added late uncertainty, and Marnus Labuschagne once again proved why he is one of the game’s premier fielders.
In the end, Australia held firm, weathered the brief English surge, and sealed the Ashes in dramatic fashion — a result forged as much by England’s errors as by Australia’s nerve and brilliance when it mattered most.
