Adelaide – England’s hopes of reclaiming the Ashes took another meaningful blow on Wednesday, as a familiar batting collapse unfolded at the Adelaide Oval. The tourists stumbled through the afternoon session, leaving them reeling at 168 for eight and raising further questions about their ability to compete with a dominant Australian side. This report dissects the key moments of a frustrating day for England, and examines the growing pressure on key batsman Ollie Pope.
Blind rank these 2025 England Ashes collapses.
Was the disastrous first day in Perth, where England stumbled to 160 for five and were ultimately all out for 172, the low point? Or perhaps the unraveling on day two in Perth, watching their side fall from a promising 65 for one to a shaky 104 for seven? The early struggles in Brisbane on day one – falling to five for two – were concerning, but day three in Brisbane proved even more damaging, as they went from 90 for one to 128 for six.
Or did the nadir arrive on December 18th at Adelaide? There, England failed for the fifth time in this series to capitalize on a batting opportunity.
If not their worst performance, it was certainly their most disheartening. Throughout this tour, England has benefited from fortunate circumstances, making their current implosion all the more difficult to accept. They won the toss in the first two Tests, and even when they didn’t here, a subpar batting display from Australia presented a clear path to victory.
The pitch offered little assistance to bowlers, the square boundaries were short, and the scorching weather – exceeding 40 degrees Celsius throughout the afternoon – added to the challenge.
This was England’s chance. A day to bat patiently, wear down the Australian attack, and seize control of the match. Instead, they found themselves reeling at 168 for eight.
“The first couple of wickets [this series] were a bit more challenging than what this is,” a resigned Marcus Trescothick said after play. “Then Australia made it tough for us today.”
What stung the most was that this wasn’t a typical England collapse, characterized by aggressive shots and frustrating dismissals. They followed their captain’s instruction to “fight,” but were simply outplayed.
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, and Harry Brook all fell to good deliveries. But this collapse highlighted the precarious position England had created for themselves through previous failures. One strong afternoon of Australian bowling was all it took to extinguish their hopes of a miraculous comeback.
The spotlight fell on Ollie Pope, whose latest failure raised serious questions about his future in the side. His three runs off 10 balls were a struggle. After surviving a tense over from Scott Boland, Pope drove his first ball from Lyon to mid-off, then chipped tamely to mid-wicket, where he was caught. Leaving the field visibly dejected, his average against Australia now stands at a meager 17.66 from 15 innings, without a single half-century.
“I don’t think it has got to that point where he is void of confidence,” Trescothick said of England’s No 3. A statement often made when a player’s confidence is clearly waning.
Pope had started the tour promisingly with a 46 in Perth, but has struggled to replicate that form since. He was dropped after the Adelaide Test on England’s last Ashes tour, and only a significant contribution in the second innings will likely save him from a similar fate this time around.
Even in victory, England faced setbacks. Ben Stokes battled throughout the afternoon, finishing on 45 not out off 151 balls. However, it was later revealed that he had struggled to consume carbohydrates due to nausea, a factor that clearly impacted his energy levels. He will need to both bat and bowl tomorrow.
“He’s pretty broken in there,” Trescothick said of the England captain. “But the medical team will work on him overnight and get him back in the frame of mind for tomorrow.”
Stokes’ innings will be remembered as a display of grit, but it also exemplified a style of play England had previously moved away from. It was the fourth-slowest innings of 50 balls or more in the Stokes-McCullum era. While he absorbed pressure, he failed to generate significant scoring opportunities.
If England fans are searching for a silver lining, it’s that this tour is no longer a story of near misses, but a confirmation of Australia’s dominance. Australia is the better team, and early optimism has faded.
As Root and Brook walked to the crease after lunch, Brook briefly lay on his back at the boundary’s edge, then again at the drinks break, covering his face with a towel as the heat overwhelmed him. This is a common challenge for England on Australian soil – the oppressive heat and relentless pressure from a strong opposition.
England has batted five times in this series and has five innings remaining. The Ashes are all but lost, and the outlook remains bleak.
