The Ashes 2025 LIVE updates: Mitchell Starc’s critical DRS call nails Joe Root as England collapse under lights

Mitchell Starc has tortured England mercilessly this series with 16 wickets in three bowling innings, and on the third afternoon he chose to do so again with the bat.

When Alex Carey nicked off to Gus Atkinson with the second new ball, Australia’s lead was 82 with two wickets left and more than an hour of play to go in broad daylight.

Ben Stokes looks short on ideas.Credit: Getty Images

But Starc found an ally in Scott Boland to play with good sense, both for runs and time – getting the lead to 116 at the break as the shadows started to gather.

There were a few plays and misses and a couple of airborne shots dropping short. Overall, though, Starc was seldom truly troubled by what must be said were tired-looking tactics from Ben Stokes.

Starc’s best batting record is against England, some five runs better than his career average of around 20.

It is fair to say that by the time the umpires called a halt to a session England had to win, the tourists were thoroughly sick of the sight of him.