New Delhi: England’s nightmare at the Gabba deepened on Saturday as Australia tightened their grip on the second Ashes Test. For a team that has struggled in Brisbane for decades, the third day offered little hope with the Three Lions’ batting unravelling under relentless pressure from a clinical Aussie attack. By stumps, the visitors were 134-6 in their second innings, still trailing by 43 runs, leaving a three-day defeat just narrowly escaped.
The day began with England showing some promise, starting off their chase in twilight conditions at 45-0 after six overs. Yet the initial optimism quickly faded as mistakes crept in, exposing a recurring problem of England’s inability to sustain concentration when it matters the most. Ben Duckett’s dismissal to Scott Boland was unfortunate but the real damage came from Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley gifting catches to Michael Neser with poor shot selection. Even seasoned campaigners like Joe Root and Harry Brook fell to edges and misjudged drives while Jamie Smith’s rash shot handed Mitchell Starc another help.
Relentless pacers help Australia mount further pressure on England in Brisbane 💪#WTC27 | #AUSvENG 📝: https://t.co/BNKjBSJuJb pic.twitter.com/hiLrT9F9Ns
— ICC (@ICC) December 6, 2025
Invisible pressure broke England
What was striking was how the pressure seemed invisible yet omnipresent. Australia’s fielding, consistent line and length and aggressive crowd energy created a psychological stranglehold that the Three Lions simply could not shake. It wasn’t just about quality bowling in fact, it was about the relentless mental assault that made every scoring shot a calculated risk and every defensive lapse costly. England’s failures were self-inflicted in large part with lapses in judgment and poor shot selection compounding the pressure from the Gabba’s intimidating atmosphere.
More to follow…