England's quest to win an Ashes series Down Under has failed once again after losing the third Test by 82 runs to condemn them to a 3-0 defeat with two Tests remaining.

In a slightly rain-affected day five in Adelaide, Australia claimed the four wickets they needed by the afternoon session to successfully retain the Ashes.

Despite showing some second innings resilience, it was too little too late for the tourists who have now extended their winless run in Australia country to 18 matches. 

Daily Mail Sport's LAWRENCE BOOTH was at the Adelaide Oval to run the rule over both sets of players. 

England

Zak Crawley 7

Still no Test hundred against a major team since the 2023 Ashes, but his second-innings 85 was one of England's best innings of the trip. He may survive the post-series shakedown after all.

Ben Duckett 2 

The extent of Duckett's mental disintegration was evident in his lame second-innings poke in the last over before lunch on day four. Six innings in this series have brought him 97 runs. He looks shot.

Ollie Pope 2

His first-innings dismissal was a dereliction of duty, just when England needed their No 3 to take the game by the scruff. Victim of a superb slip catch by Labuschagne in the second, but only after another of his off-stump jabs. His Test career is long past its sell-by date.

Joe Root 5.5

Twice he got in, twice he was drawn into nibbles outside off by Cummins, who has now removed him 13 times in Tests – twice more than anyone else. Despite the Brisbane hundred, that shot remains Root's red flag in Australia.  

Harry Brook 6

He mainly honoured his pre-match pledge to 'rein it in', but scores of 45 and 30 summed up his lack of fulfilment, and he chose the wrong ball to reverse sweep in the second innings. His drop of Khawaja on the first morning proved costly.

Ben Stokes 6

Gutsed it out for five hours to make 80 in the first innings, but fell to Starc and Lyon, who have now dismissed him a combined 22 times in Tests. Invited criticism from Ricky Ponting after his exhaustion ruled him out of bowling on the third day, when he over-bowled Jacks.

Jamie Smith 6.5 

All too easily bounced out in the first innings, he at least showed gumption in the second, with a maiden Ashes fifty. Attracted criticism for losing his wicket trying to hit a fifth successive four, but England were hardly going to block their way to 435.

Will Jacks 6

It wasn't his fault he was picked as England's first-choice spinner, when he is little better than a part-timer. Battled hard with the bat for the second game in succession.

Brydon Carse 6

Added five wickets to his series tally, but he wasted the new ball on the first day and struggled to locate his length. Fought hard with the bat on the last day.

Jofra Archer 8.5

Provided a near-perfect riposte to his increasingly obsessive band of critics, fighting a lone battle during Australia's first innings, then improving his career-best with the bat for the second game in a row. England's best bowler of the tour.

Josh Tongue 6.5

England's second-best seamer after Archer, Tongue deserved better than one wicket in the first innings, and plugged away in the second for a haul of four. He has to play at Melbourne.

Australia

Travis Head 9

Made up for a loose stroke on the first morning with a carefree 170 in the second innings, and now has 379 runs in the series, more than 100 clear of the field.

Jake Weatherald 2

It's hard to shake off the suspicion that Australia's latest opener is out of his depth, though he didn't help himself by failing to review his second-innings lbw when the ball pitched outside leg stump.

Marnus Labuschagne 6

Played arguably the worst shot of the series when he pulled Archer's first ball after lunch on the first day straight to midwicket. Squared up by a good one from Tongue in the second innings. But earns extra points for his sensational slip catching.

Usman Khawaja 7.5

Made the most of being dropped on five by Brook to make a redemptive 82 after his recall, and kept the boot on England's throat on the third day with a careful 40. Mind you, he fell twice to Jacks.

Cameron Green 4

The IPL's most expensive overseas cricketer continues to be a conundrum at Test level, with two cheap dismissals offset only partially by the wicket of Brook.

Alex Carey 9.5

Life at No 6 suits Australia's wicketkeeper, and innings of 106 and 72 confirmed him as one of the players of the series. The fact that he is not walker, like almost his compatriots, did not come as news.

Josh Inglis 5

Playing as a specialist No 7, Inglis feels just short of Test class, and looks like the spare part who will make way once Steve Smith returns for Melbourne.

Pat Cummins 8.5

Looked like he'd never been away, and took six big wickets, including Root twice. Few cricketers in the world deliver so regularly when their team are most in need.

Mitchell Starc 8

Kept England in the field with his second fifty of the series, and took important wicket in each innings: Stokes in the first, Smith and Jacks in the second.

Nathan Lyon 8

Made two vital contributions in his comeback match before injuring his hamstring in the field. First he got rid of Pope and Duckett in his first over. Then, on the fourth evening, he knocked over Brook, Stokes and Crawley at a personal cost of seven runs in 20 balls.

Scott Boland 7.5

So hard to get away, as Crawley acknowledged on the fourth evening. He wrapped up England's first innings, and gave them nothing to hit in the second.