NEW DELHI: Australia secured the Ashes with two Tests to spare, thanks to paceman Mitchell Starc, who claimed three of the final four wickets to stifle England's late resistance in the third Test.

On Day 5, Australia required just four wickets to retain the Ashes, with England resuming at 6-207, still 228 runs shy of the daunting 435-run target that would have demanded a world-record chase. Starc struck early in the morning session, removing Jamie Smith for 60, despite England adding 102 valuable runs to their total.

Australia wrapped up the Ashes in just 11 days, surging to a 3–0 lead in the five-match series. The first Test in Perth ended in just two days, with Travis Head dismantling 205-run chase through a brilliant 123 off 83 balls, leading Australia to an eight-wicket victory.

The hosts reinforced their dominance in the second Test at Brisbane, securing another eight-wicket win in just four days.

By lunch on the final day, England's fightback had tightened the Ashes equation: Australia required just three wickets to secure the historic urn in Adelaide, while England still needed 126 runs to keep their hopes of winning the five-match series alive.

With England's lower-order doggedly mounting pressure and Australia's attack missing veteran spinner Nathan Lyon, who limped off the field with an injured hamstring, the leading bowler in the series delivered for the hosts.

Starc, who was voted player of the match in Australia's eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, took the wickets of Will Jacks (47) - spectacularly caught by Marnus Labuschagne, who dived from slip in front of the wicketkeeper - and Jofra Archer (3).

That left Scott Boland to finish it off. He dismissed Josh Tongue (1) and left Brydon Carse stranded on 39 as England was all out for 352.

Player of the match

Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey was voted player of the match after posting a home ground hundred in the first innings, a half-century in the second innings in a 162-run stand with Travis Head, who top-scored with 170, and completing seven dismissals for the test.

England's out of contention

England captain Ben Stokes said he was happier with the resilience shown by his team this week, despite ultimately surrendering the series in 11 days.

"This is going to hurt quite a bit," Stokes said. "Obviously that dream that we came here with is now over, which is obviously incredibly disappointing.

"But look, we've got two more (tests) to go on and that's where the focus needs to switch to now."

(With AP Inputs)