Australia thrash England by 8-wicket to take dominant 2–0 Ashes lead

Australia delivered another commanding performance to defeat England by eight wickets in the day-night second Ashes Test in Brisbane, surging to a formidable 2–0 lead in the five-match series.

Australia wrapped up the second Test with ruthless efficiency on Sunday, chasing down a modest target of 65 in just 10 overs.

Captain Steve Smith sealed the victory in style, launching Gus Atkinson for a towering six over square leg.

Though less dramatic than England’s two-day capitulation in Perth, the Brisbane defeat exposed similar flaws, with the visitors comprehensively outclassed across batting, bowling and fielding.

England’s batting again faltered despite flashes of resistance from Joe Root and Zak Crawley in the first innings and from captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks in the second.

A series of reckless strokes on the Gabba’s bouncy surface saw wickets tumble cheaply.

Their bowling also misfired; too short, lacking discipline and failing to exploit the new pink ball, while Australia’s attack thrived even without front-line quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.

Fielding proved another gulf between the sides: England dropped five catches in the first innings, while Australia were clinical. Josh Inglis’s sharp run-out of Stokes on day two proved a pivotal moment.

Australia’s first-innings total of 511, built with strong contributions from the tail, put the visitors on the back foot.

England then collapsed to 134-6 under lights on day three, still trailing by 43.

On Sunday, Stokes and Jacks mounted a gritty fightback, resisting the Australian attack in sweltering conditions.

Abandoning England’s stated all-out aggression, they opted instead for patience; leaving balls, rotating strike and scoring conservatively as they erased the deficit.

They survived for over two hours, offering only a single chance when Stokes edged Scott Boland high over the slips.

But the resistance ended when Jacks edged Michael Neser and Smith took a stunning diving catch at slip. Neser struck again to remove Stokes shortly after, finishing with career-best figures of 5-42.

Once England were dismissed for a lead of just 50, Australia’s victory was inevitable. Despite losing Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, Smith and Jake Weatherald comfortably steered the hosts home.

The win leaves Australia overwhelming favourites to retain the Ashes, with Tests in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney still to come.