The Ashes 3rd Test LIVE: Australia vs England, free streams, Day 1 updates from the Adelaide Oval
Pat Cummins returns for Australia as they look to secure The Ashes
The third Ashes Test is here, and it’s do-or-die for England as Australia already have one hand on the urn after winning the opening two games.
Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon return for Australia, while Josh Tongue comes into the starting XI for England.
Keep up to date right here on our live blog as we follow all the action from the Adelaide Oval.
Watching The Ashes 3rd Test Essentials
- Start Time: Wednesday, 17 December — 10:30 a.m. AEDT / 11:30 p.m. GMT (Tue.) / 6:30 p.m. ET (Tue.)
- Free Stream: 7Plus (AUS)
- UK Stream: TNT Sports
- US Stream: Willow TV
- Our full Ashes streaming guide
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England do things in twos
What do the England team's wickets and the animals of Noah's Ark have in common? They come in twos.
Laboured comparison aside, the English side seem to love claiming back to back wickets in flurries of five minutes.
Some outstanding work from Archer and great work from the fielders too. You can tell they're terrified of dropping anything after a very butterfingered performance in Brisbane.
4-106.
Another wicket!
What did the England team have for lunch? Whatever it was it's worked wonders!
Carse performs a lovely dive for the ball as it comes off Green's bat. A big ol' duck.
Archer is on fire.
4-94.
We're back from lunch...and a wicket already!
The first ball has been played, and it's landed perfectly for England!
Archer shows why he's one of England's strongest as he bowls Labuschagne out in the first ball after lunch.
What a start from England, let's see how that affects this afternoon under the scorching Adelaide sun...
3-94.
Will this batting duo go the full way?
Khawaja and Labuschagne will surely see the Aussie team over 100 runs unless England bring it in the first few minutes after lunch, but how far can they go?
These two batters are looking strong but they'll need to be resilient to see Australia get a substantial number on the scoreboard.
It's early days so let's check in as the first ball after lunch is about to be played.
2-94.
Break for lunch
The drama comes to a slow finish as the players head for lunch.
Neither side will be particularly happy with their performances today. Head and Weatherald started off as a promising duo with a lot of potential but fell relatively early.
England had a flurry of wickets in the span of under 10 minutes but had a sloppy start with their bowling and have failed to pick up the pace since.
It certainly doesn't look like this will wrap up in two days like it did Perth.
We'll see you again after lunch.
2-94.
The final stand for England?
If England lose Adelaide it will be a disheartening last two tests.
If England win Adelaide this could be an incredibly tense next test at Melbourne.
While it's absolutely true that Adelaide could be England's last stand, when it comes to being in with a chance of winning the Ashes that is, this could also help them play with more passion.
2-82.
Potential LBW?
Labuschagne had a lucky escape after Stokes bowls a screamer into his leg.
The umpire wasn't giving it the time of day and after a think the England team don't risk a review.
2-62.
Brook misses a catch!
Harry Brook sees what should have been a fairly easy catch slip by his fingers.
He'll be gutted.
Flashbacks to Brisbane where England missed a lot of catches but England are still looking for their third wicket in Adelaide.
2-52.
England try and seize the momentum
While England should celebrate their wickets, they should also not rest on their laurels too much.
Things certainly look set for an action-packed day if this is anything to go by but it's only going to get hotter which may see a sluggish pace develop on both sides.
2-37.
And another!
England seem to have woken up now.
Claiming another wicket minutes after their first, maybe they've found their stride.
Head tried to bat into space but Carse performs a beautiful dive and manages to get a hand to it, safely before it touches the ground.
Dismissing Travis Head - who has scored Australia's only century this Ashes - means that the Head/Weatherald duo who opened are now out.
2-33.
The first wicket!
Archer bowls to Weatherald and it comes off his bat...straight into the hands of Smith.
A well needed misstep that was pounced upon by the England team who probably can't believe their luck after a very strong innings from Weatherald.
1-33.
Carse and Archer's bowling under scrutiny.
The England bowling duo are being slated by the pundits.
Calling it a 'batter's dream', the Aussies are running circles around them and they'll need to step it up to stand a chance.
Atkinson being left out of this line up is a bold choice, to put it politely, but maybe it's a long term strategy.
0-33.
Carse is shaky, Weatherald is soaring
English bowler Carse is off to a shaky start bowling in territory that is unfamiliar to him, both location wise and in terms of what he's been asked to it.
On the other extreme, Aussie batter Weatherald is soaring so far with two fours under his belt. Very early days but with a lot of pressure on England, will they be able to deliver at least one test victory?
0-25.
The first FOUR!
Weatherald scores a four!
After a close pursuit of the ball, which glides effortlessly past all the fielders who try and stop it before the boundary, the Aussies score the first four at Adelaide Oval.
0-7.
The first ball is bowled!
Jofra Archer throws the first ball to Travis Head...and it goes right past him to the wicket keeper.
0-0.
A scorcher in SA!
Adelaide, South Australia is the site of test three and it's gonna be a hot one!
Currently 35 degrees, and it's just the morning, it's going to reach over 40 in the next few days.
Will the Aussies ability to play in these scorching temperatures be an advantage?
The pre-match ceremony begins
Proceedings are about to get going as the Ashes urn is brought onto the green.
Get ready for the national anthems, welcome to country and a tribute to the horrific shooting at Bondi Beach which Australia is still reeling from.
The toss: Pat opts to bat!
Australia have won the coin toss, for the first time after England had won the last two tosses.
Batting has been the popular choice for the winner of the toss and Pat Cummins is no different who favours the conditions of the Adelaide sun.
Will this prove to be Australia's undoing or another wise choice from the team with two tests under their belt?
Breaking: Steve Smith won't play the third test
The acting captain won't be featuring in the third test!
It seems like there's no space for more than one captain of Australia - albeit acting too - on the green. No sooner has Pat Cummins been ruled in for Adelaide after sitting out the first two tests than Steve Smith has been ruled out.
Smith has been unwell this week, having ducked out of some training, but this is another set back for the Australian team who have been beset with notable absences.
Broadcast has started now!
Coverage of the Ashes has now started!
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Australia vs England XI's — Pat Cummins returns!
Australia XI: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins (captain), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue.
Welcome to the 3rd Ashes Test match!
The Ashes returns today as Australia edge ever closer to retaining the urn. Successive victories, achieved without the likes of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood have put them on the brink of another comfortable home series win.
For England, it is a familiar story Down Under. However, they now find themselves with nothing to lose — and under those circumstances, Bazball could yet prove dangerous.
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