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8 hours ago
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Second Ashes Test, the Gabba, Brisbane (day-night, day four of five)
England 334: Root 138; Starc 6-75 & 241 Stokes 50; Neser 5-42
Australia 511: Starc 77; Carse 4-152 & 69-2 (Smith 23*, Atkinson 2-37)
Australia win by eight wickets, go 2-0 up in five-match series
England's Ashes hopes are all but over in fewer than six days of cricket after an eight-wicket defeat by Australia in the second Test at the Gabba.
England finally showed some application with the bat on the fourth day of the pink-ball match in Brisbane, yet still succumbed to their second crushing defeat of the tour following a two-day loss in the first Test in Perth.
Perhaps determined to set an example to his team-mates after their dismal display on Saturday, captain Ben Stokes dug in for a watchful 50 off 152 balls.
Stokes and Will Jacks, who made 41 from 92, added 96 for the seventh wicket in 36.4 overs – England's longest partnership of the series.
They were together until an hour into the middle session, when Jacks was sensationally caught by Australia captain Steve Smith at first slip.
It was the beginning of England losing their final four wickets for 17 runs to be all out for 241.
Stokes nicked Neser, Gus Atkinson was bounced out by Brendan Doggett and Brydon Carse edged to slip to give Neser his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket.
Australia were given a meagre target of 65. Though Atkinson had Travis Head chop on and produced a lifter to remove Marnus Labuschagne, victory was completed in 10 overs.
It leaves Stokes' team 2-0 down and in need of winning all three of the remaining Tests to regain the Ashes. England have never come from 2-0 behind to win a series against Australia.
On the most eagerly anticipated Ashes tour for a generation and in what was supposed to be a golden opportunity to win the urn for the first time since 2015, Stokes' men are threatening to return the worst performance by an England team in Australia in modern times.
Questions about England's attitude will again arise as the tourists plan to follow this defeat with a holiday on the Sunshine Coast.
Regardless of how England spend their time between now and the third Test on 17 December (23:30 16 December GMT), they must somehow improve immeasurably for the contest in Adelaide.
As Ashes holders, Australia will only need a draw to retain the urn at the earliest opportunity and before thousands of England fans travel over Christmas for the Tests in Melbourne and Sydney.
The hosts will do so with the boost of captain Pat Cummins set to return from injury and off-spinner Nathan Lyon primed for a recall.
Australian absences at the beginning of the series presented England with a huge chance they have blown. Now, they must face the consequences.
England are not out of this series, yet it is almost impossible to see how they turn this around given their awful performances so far and their wretched recent history in this country.
This was their 17th match without a win in Australia, 15 of which have been defeats. This was England's 10th defeat in 14 away Tests against all opponents and an eighth loss in 15 overall, dating back to September 2024.
It also extended a long run of pain in Brisbane, a city where England have not won since 1986. The Gabba, alive with the promise of England wickets on Saturday night, was half-empty on Sunday afternoon.
It is another England defeat in day-night Tests – now six in eight matches, including all four played in Australia. The home side have won 14 of their 15 pink-ball matches. No other team has made more than England's 334 batting first in a day-night Test and lost.
England's options for Adelaide are limited unless they dip into an England Lions team currently being hammered by Australia A.
Jacob Bethell made 71 for the Lions on Sunday, but spinner Shoaib Bashir returned 0-115 from his 25 overs. There is no specialist keeper in the senior squad to remove Jamie Smith from the firing line. Matthew Fisher could be a candidate to provide pace-bowling cover.
England came from 2-0 down to draw the 2023 Ashes in the UK and might have won had in not rained in Manchester.
A similar comeback here would be utterly extraordinary. In truth, England are already in a battle to avoid a 5-0 clean sweep.
Where have England been hiding this determination, shot selection and common sense? If they had produced this kind of Test batting earlier, they might still be in the series.
From 134-6 overnight, 43 adrift of making Australia bat again, England needed the sort of escape only Stokes is capable of engineering.
The captain responded with a 148-ball half-century – his slowest in Tests since his career-defining knock to win the Headingley Ashes Test of 2019.
Jacks matched Stokes for defence, judgement and patience. Both men left well, were rarely tempted by the Australian short-ball traps and attacked when the odds were in their favour.
They inched England into the lead, beyond the first interval and through to the floodlit period. Their partnership lasted longer than either of England's two innings in Perth and had the second-slowest run-rate of any England stand in excess of 50 since Stokes took over as captain.
Jacks may have secured his place in the team, possibly higher up the order. It took a wonderful catch from Smith to dismiss him – payback for when Jacks caught Smith earlier in the match. Jacks edged Neser and with keeper Alex Carey up to the stumps, Smith flung himself to his left to cling on at full stretch in one hand.
In Neser's next over the game was up. Stokes edged and Carey, still standing up, took a superb catch. The captain departed furious with himself.
Atkinson resumed the normal service of England batters gifting away their wicket, falling for the bouncer plan by hooking Doggett to mid-wicket. Neser located the edge of Carse for his fifth – his spell on the fourth afternoon was 3-10 in 5.2 overs.
For the first time in the match England had the ideal bowling conditions of a new ball under the floodlights and Atkinson showed them what could have been with more runs to defend.
