The Ashes rivalry continues at the iconic Adelaide Oval as Australia take on England in the third Test starting December 17th, 2025, and this five-day contest could be absolutely crucial. Let’s be honest – the hosts are sitting pretty at 2-0 up, looking absolutely dominant after some brilliant performances with both bat and ball on home soil. England, meanwhile, find themselves in that dreaded must-win situation where it’s basically do or die to keep their Ashes hopes alive. With Australia’s settled and in-form squad firing on all cylinders at their fortress, you’d have to say they’re the heavy favourites heading in. But that’s what makes Test cricket so captivating – there’s nothing more dangerous than a team fighting with their backs against the wall and everything to prove. Let’s break down with expert analysis, betting tips, pitch report, and AUS vs ENG 3rd test Match prediction. Who will win the test match?
Team Performance
Australia cricket team:
Australia roll into the third Test at Adelaide sitting pretty at 2-0, playing some seriously good cricket. That huge 511 in the second dig at Perth proved they can bat deep, with Travis Head absolutely owning his new opening gig—he’s been the standout so far. Jake Weatherald’s fitted in like he’s been there forever, just picking up where he left off in domestic cricket.
The bowling’s stacked too. They’ve actually dropped Michael Neser after he grabbed five wickets, which tells you everything about how strong they are with Cummins and Lyon back in the mix.
What’s really caught my eye is the tactics. Khawaja’s fit but they’ve kept the aggressive opening combo anyway. They’re clearly not interested in playing it safe—they want to smash teams, not just beat them. Adelaide’s where they’re looking to finish it off and keep hold of the Ashes.
England Cricket Team:
England go into the third Test on 17 December with their backs against the wall, but it’s a position they know well. Down 0–2 in the Ashes, Ben Stokes isn’t panicking—he’s framing it simply: they know what needs to happen. There’s been talk of past comebacks, and while England have been inconsistent so far, there have been glimpses that the fire’s still burning. Jofra Archer’s fierce spell in Brisbane showed they can still hurt Australia when they turn it on.
Stokes wants to see more fight, more edge, “a bit of dog,” as he puts it. He’s calling for his team to scrap hard in every session, let their cricket do the talking, and stop getting caught up in all the external chatter. The message is clear: focus on winning the key moments, stay in the contest, and they can still produce something special to drag themselves back into this series.
AUS vs ENG • 3rd Test • The Ashes 2025–26
Match No: AUS vs ENG 3rd Test, The Ashes, 2025–26
Date: 17/12/2025
Time: 10:00 AM LOCAL, 11:30 PM GMT, 4:00 PM IST
Venue: Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Streaming Online: Jio Hotstar and Star Sports Network
Pitch Report: Adelaide Oval
The Adelaide Oval pitch for the third Test starting Wednesday (December 17, 2025) should be a pretty good batting surface early on—hard, dry, with even grass and true bounce that lets batters play their shots. The seamers will get their chances though, especially under lights when the pink ball starts hopping around, making those twilight sessions tricky for the batters. As the match wears on and the pitch dries out in the heat, it’ll slow down and the spinners should come into play with more grip and turn from day three onwards. Win the toss and you’d probably bat first to make the most of those early conditions.
Weather Forecast:
- Temperature: 19.4°C
- Humidity: 60%
- Wind Speed: 20.2KPH
- Rain forecast: 0%
- Wind Direction: SE
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Australia vs England • Ashes Test Head-to-Head Record
Total Tests Played: 363
Australia Wins: 154
England Wins: 112
Drawn: 97
First-Ever Test Between Australia & England
Date: 15 – 19 March 1877
Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Melbourne
Result: Australia won the first-ever Test match
Most Recent Ashes Test
Test: 2nd Ashes Test
Date: 04 December 2025
Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane
Result: Australia won by 8 wkts
Toss Winner: England won the toss and opted to bat
Player of the Match: Mitchell Starc
Australia vs England 3rd Test Match Playing XI
| Australia | England |
|---|---|
| Travis Head | Zak Crawley |
| Jake Weatherald | Ben Duckett |
| Marnus Labuschagne | Ollie Pope |
| Steven Smith | Joe Root |
| Cameron Green | Harry Brook |
| Josh Inglis | (C) Ben Stokes |
| (WK) Alex Carey | (WK) Jamie Smith |
| (C) Pat Cummins | Will Jacks |
| Mitchell Starc | Brydon Carse |
| Nathan Lyon | Jofra Archer |
| Scott Boland | Josh Tongue |
Today Test Match Prediction: Team chasing are the favourite for the third test in The Ashes series 2025-26.
Australia vs England • 3rd Test Match Prediction
Australia vs England 3rd Test Match Prediction: scenario 1
• Who will win the today’s match toss: Australia wins the toss opt to bat first
• AUS First Innings: 350-430
• Match Winner: Australia Wins 3rd test match.
AUS vs ENG 3rd Test Match Prediction: scenario 2
• Who will win the toss: England win the toss and elect to bat first.
• ENG First Innings: 250-300
• Today’s Match winner: Enland Wins the 3rd test match.
Today’s cricket betting tips AUS vs ENG 3rd Test match
- Who will win today’s match toss: Australia wins toss and opt to bat first
- Top Batter Performance: Harry Brook
- Top Bowling Performance: Ben Stokes
- Cricket betting tips: Australia are expected to score 300+ or more, while England will likely aim for a target above 250.
Disclaimer: This prediction is given by author expert Insights, analysis, and personal insights. Please use it as a reference and make your own informed decisions before placing any bets or forming conclusions.