• Zak Crawley, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow's fiery knocks helped England gain a massive lead over Australia in the 5th Ashes Test.

  • England finished Day 3 at a score of 389/9 in 80 overs.

Ashes 2023: Crawley, Root and Bairstow shine as England take control of the 5th Test against Australia on Day 3
Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root (Image Source: Twitter)

The excitement at Kennington Oval in London reached a fever pitch as England took control of the 5th Test against Australia on Day 3 with their dominant performance. The home team ended the day’s play with a substantial lead of 377 runs over the visitors.

England showcased brilliant batting prowess in their second innings and amassed a score of 389/9 until the stumps. Zak Crawley, Joe Root, and Jonny Bairstow led the charge for the English side with their outstanding performances. Crawley displayed excellent form and contributed an impressive 73 runs off 76 balls, while former England skipper Root was just shy of a century with his 91 runs from 106 deliveries. Bairstow also made a significant impact, scoring 78 runs off 103 balls.

As the day came to a close, England had lost nine wickets. However, the determined duo of Stuart Broad (2) and James Anderson (8) remained unbeaten at the crease, adding to the frustration of Australian bowlers.

Also READ: England pacer Stuart Broad shocks cricket world with sudden retirement from cricket

Australia’s fightback with the ball:

The Aussie bowlers fought hard but struggled to contain England’s batting onslaught. Mitchell Starc emerged as the most successful bowler for Australia, claiming four wickets for 94 runs with his fiery pace and precision. Todd Murphy provided valuable support to Starc, taking three scalps for 110 runs.

With England leading by 377 runs and only one wicket in hand, Day 4 promises to be a thrilling encounter. The pressure will be on Australia to end England’s second innings early by bagging the final wicket quickly on the penultimate day and preventing the lead from spiralling out of control. Meanwhile, the English team will be eager to add more runs to their lead and set a challenging target for Australia to chase in their final innings.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

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