Australia have overcome a stubborn knock from Jos Buttler to crush England by 275 runs in the second Ashes Test and take a two-nil series lead.
Set 468 runs to win, the tourists were bowled out for 192 with some 21 overs remaining on Monday’s final day of play at Adelaide Oval.
Buttler (26) soaked up 207 deliveries before treading on his stumps to be out hit wicket.
“That’s the attitude we have to harness through the whole game,” England captain Joe Root said, adding he was “fine” after copping two blows to the testicles on Sunday.
“The fight and attitude was great today and we just have to do more of it.”
Australia’s stand-in captain Steve Smith said he wasn’t nervous during the final day despite England’s defiance.
“They showed some really good resistance and fight,” Smith said.
“We always felt (it would only take) a couple of balls, there was still plenty of time left. We just tried to stay calm.”
The tourists now need a Bradmanesque feat to reclaim the Ashes.
Only one team has come from two-nil down to win an Ashes series: Don Bradman’s Australians in 1936-37.
Paceman Jhye Richardson took five wickets as Australia followed their nine-wicket triumph in the first Test with another resounding win.
But the Australians were forced to toil for a triumph which extends their perfect record in day-night Tests, winning all of their nine pink ball matches.
And victory was achieved without captain Pat Cummins and fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood (side strain), first and fourth in world bowling rankings respectively.
Cummins, who was ruled out of the Adelaide Test when deemed a close contact of a COVID case, is certain to play in the third Test in Melbourne starting on Boxing Day.
Hazlewood will also return to Australia’s camp in days with the hosts naming an unchanged 15-man squad for the three remaining Tests in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart.
The Australians on Monday made early inroads with key wickets inside the first hour.
England resumed on 4-82 but it took just 15 balls for the first English crack to appear when Mitchell Starc removed Ollie Pope (four), edging to Steve Smith at second slip.
Starc should have claimed another victim in his next over when a blunder from wicketkeeper Alex Carey allowed Buttler to avoid making a pair of ducks in the match.
Buttler edged behind but Carey failed to move for the catch and the ball sailed between him and David Warner at first slip.
Some 10 overs later, spinner Nathan Lyon (2-55) ended the resistance of Ben Stokes, who made 12 from 77 balls.
On the 54th ball he faced from Lyon, Stokes was trapped lbw when Australia reviewed the initial not out verdict.
Stokes’ dismissal left the visitors 6-105 but Buttler and Chris Woakes showed pluck in surviving 31 overs and putting on 61 runs.
But Richardson (5-42) struck with the second new ball, ridding Woakes (44) with a superb off-cutter which clean bowled the Englishman.
Ollie Robinson (eight) survived 15 overs with Buttler before falling to Lyon just before tea.
Australia had a minimum 26 overs in the last session to claim the final two wickets and Buttler fell in bizarre fashion to Starc (2-43).
The Englishman, who batted deep in his crease his entire innings, played back a short ball to cover and took off for a run, only for his right heel to nudge into the stumps and gently dislodge the bails.
AAP
Get all the latest Canberra news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.
