SYDNEY: Australia is investigating Facebook, TikTok and YouTube for possible breaches of the country&#39;s under-16 social media ban, accusing the big tech companies on Tuesday of &quot;failing to obey&quot; the world-leading laws. Australia in December banned under-16s from a raft of the world&#39;s most popular social media sites, citing the need to protect young minds from &quot;predatory algorithms&quot; filled with sex and violence. Three months since the landmark laws came into effect, Australia&#39;s online safety watchdog found a &quot;substantial proportion of Australian children&quot; were still scrolling banned platforms. &quot;Australia&#39;s world-leading social media laws are not failing. But big tech is failing to obey the laws,&quot; Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters. &quot;Australia will not let the social media giants take us for mugs.&quot; Australia&#39;s eSafety Commission flagged &quot;significant concerns&quot; about Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube. &quot;None of this is impossible. None of this is even difficult for big tech, who are innovative billion-dollar companies,&quot; Wells said. &quot;If these companies want to do business in Australia, they must obey Australian laws.&quot; Australia would decide on any punishments by mid-2026. Tech companies face fines of up to $33.9 million (Aus$49.5 million) under the laws. More than five million accounts belonging to underage Australian users have been removed since the laws came into effect, the eSafety Commission said. A growing body of research suggests that too much time online is taking a toll on teen well-being. Australia&#39;s ban has been hailed as a godsend for parents sick of seeing children glued to their phones. It has also drawn interest across the globe -- with Malaysia, France, New Zealand and Indonesia among the nations now eyeing similar measures. Although social media companies have pledged to abide by the laws, they have warned that the measures could instead push teenagers into dark, unregulated corners of the internet. Prove itMeta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said accurately proving users&#39; ages had been &quot;a challenge for the whole industry&quot;. It told AFP it would &quot;keep investing in enforcement to detect and remove under-16 accounts&quot;. Image-sharing platform Snapchat told AFP it was &quot;fully committed to implementing reasonable steps under the legislation&quot; and had so far locked 450,000 accounts. TikTok said it had no comment, while inquiries on YouTube did not receive a reply. Social media companies bear the sole responsibility for checking that Australia-based users are 16 or older. They must prove they have taken &quot;reasonable steps&quot; to weed out young teenagers, although it remains unclear how this will be interpreted by the government. Some platforms have said they would use AI tools to estimate ages based on photos, while users could also choose to prove their age by uploading a government ID. Online discussion site Reddit has filed a legal challenge against Australia&#39;s ban, which it described as &quot;legally erroneous&quot;. The US-based company said there were serious privacy concerns associated with platforms verifying age, with the collection of personal data creating a risk of leaks or hacks. Reddit&#39;s challenge is yet to be heard in Australia&#39;s High Court.

This file photo shows the icons of different social media applications. (AFP/FILE)

Gadgets

Three months since the landmark laws came into effect, Australia's online safety watchdog found a "substantial proportion of Australian children" were still scrolling banned platforms.


Australia investigates tech giants over social media ban breaches

CANBERRA: European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese struck a long-awaited free trade deal on Tuesday, compromising to boost exports in the face of global uncertainty over trade. Von der Leyen&#39;s visit to Australia with trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic in tow comes as the 27-nation bloc and the import-reliant nation navigate renewed energy vulnerability sparked by the war in the Middle East. The accord is the latest agreed by Brussels in a push to diversify trade as Europe faces challenges from the United States and China. The two sides also inked an agreement to step up defence cooperation as well as critical raw materials. Addressing the Australian parliament on Tuesday, von der Leyen described a world that was &quot;brutal, harsh and unforgiving&quot;. In that context, she said the EU and Australia were bound by common values and must work together to mitigate over-reliance on countries like China for critical minerals. &quot;We cannot be over dependent on any supplier for such crucial ingredients, and that is precisely why we need each other,&quot; she said. &quot;Our security is your security, and with our new security and defence partnership, we have each other&#39;s back.&quot; She told lawmakers Tuesday&#39;s agreement on trade was a &quot;fair deal, and one that delivers for your businesses and one that delivers for our businesses&quot;. Key sticking points on Australian use of European geographical names and access for Australian beef to Europe were overcome to reach the deal, inked after eight years of negotiations. A compromise will see Australian winemakers allowed to use the term &quot;prosecco&quot; domestically, but stop using it for exports after 10 years. Australia will be allowed to keep using some geographical names, such as feta and gruyere, in cases where producers have used the name for at least five years. European car makers will benefit from Australia raising the threshold for a luxury car tax on electric vehicles -- three-quarters of EVs will now become exempt. Under the trade deal, the EU said it expected exports to Australia to grow by a third over a decade. The quota of Australian beef allowed into the EU will increase more than 10 times the current level over the next decade, although that falls short of the level Australian farmers had been seeking. EU firms exported 37 billion euros ($42.9 billion) of goods to Australia last year, and 31 billion euros of services in 2024. Global uncertaintyAustralia&#39;s largest export market is China, and the United States is its largest source of investment. But Canberra has redoubled efforts to diversify export markets for farmers since a 2020 dispute with Beijing saw agriculture exports blocked for several years, and last year&#39;s global imposition of US trade tariffs. Likewise, the European Union is on a drive to strike new partnerships in the face of US levies and Chinese export controls. Von der Leyen&#39;s visit was overshadowed by the war in the Middle East, which has sent oil prices soaring. In Canberra, International Energy Agency chief Fatih Birol warned Monday the world faced an energy crisis not seen in decades if the conflict was not resolved. And von der Leyen this month said the conflict had served as a &quot;stark reminder&quot; of Europe&#39;s vulnerabilities. On Tuesday, she called for an immediate end to hostilities in the Middle East in the face of a &quot;critical&quot; situation for energy supply chains globally. Australia -- which is heavily reliant on fuel from abroad -- has also felt the pressure from the global energy squeeze.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (R) and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walk through the corridors of Parliament House in Canberra on March 24, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Europe

The accord is the latest agreed by Brussels in a push to diversify trade as Europe faces challenges from the United States and China. 

Australia, EU agree to sweeping new trade pact after eight years

LAHORE: Pakistan take on Australia in a three-match Twenty20 international series starting in Lahore from Thursday, despite doubts over their participation in next month&#39;s World Cup in cricket&#39;s shortest format.&nbsp;The country&#39;s cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi will announce a final decision on taking part in the mega event either on Friday or Monday.&nbsp;Pakistan are protesting over last week&#39;s decision by the International Cricket Council (ICC), which rejected Bangladesh&#39;s demand to relocate their matches out of India over security fears.&nbsp;Bangladesh are replaced by Scotland in the 20-team event, which runs from February 7 to March 8 with Sri Lanka as co-hosts.&nbsp;However, despite the doubts, the Pakistan team was preparing for the World Cup with skipper Salman Agha stressing the importance of the<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/australia-announce-squad-for-threegame-t20i-series-in-pakistan" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Australia</a> series.&nbsp;&quot;These three games will give us an idea how prepared we are for the World Cup,&quot; Agha told a news conference on Wednesday. &quot;Australia is a top team and will give us the best final preparations.&quot;&nbsp;Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside defending world champions India, the United States, Namibia and the Netherlands.&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi returns to full fitness after injuring his knee in the Big Bash League in Australia this month.&nbsp;&quot;We need to see how many boxes we tick in the series which are important for the World Cup as we aim to do well and win the Cup,&quot; Agha said.&nbsp;A 17-member Australian squad led by Mitchell Marsh arrived in Lahore early on Wednesday, with the last two matches set for January 31 and February 1.&nbsp;The Australians are without the injured quartet of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Tim David and Nathan Ellis, while allrounder Glenn Maxwell was rested to manage workload.&nbsp;Marsh still believes Australia were ready for the World Cup tune-up series.&nbsp;&quot;These are very important times in both teams&#39; preparations for the World Cup,&quot; said Marsh, whose team will be in Group B with Sri Lanka, Oman, Ireland and Zimbabwe.&nbsp;&quot;This is a very important series as the conditions are similar and that is against a quality side, so we will assess the situation and be clear about our plans ahead.&quot;

Cricket

Pakistan face Australia in a three-match T20 series in Lahore as World Cup participation remains undecided, with both teams using the matches as preparation. Pakistan welcome back Shaheen Afridi, while Australia miss several injured players.

Pakistan face Australia with T20 World Cup participation uncertain

MELBOURNE: Record-shattering Novak Djokovic became the first player to win 400 Grand Slam matches Saturday on his way into the last 16 at the Australian Open. The 38-year-old Serbian great swept past Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) under a closed roof on centre court to extend his own all-time record of match wins at the majors. Roger Federer (369) and Serena Williams (365) are next best. Victory was also his 102nd at Melbourne Park, where he has won 10 titles, to equal Federer with most Australian Open singles wins. Djokovic&#39;s reward is a fourth-round clash with either Czech rising star Jakub Mensik or American tournament debutant Ethan Quinn whose match was delayed due to extreme heat. The 24-time Slam winner is in good form so far as he bids to shatter the recent dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. &quot;I&#39;m still trying to give these young guys a push for their money,&quot; said Djokovic. &quot;I&#39;m still around. I&#39;m hanging in there. &quot;Obviously Alcaraz and Sinner are the two best players in the world. They&#39;re playing on a different level from all of us right now. &quot;But, you know, when you enter the court and the ball rolls, you always have a chance.&quot; The 75th-ranked van de Zandschulp upset Djokovic in three sets at Indian Wells last year, but never looked like pulling off another shock. The fourth seed wound back the clock with some phenomenal tennis in set one, securing the critical break in the fourth game after a mammoth 26-point rally. He broke the Dutchman again on his opening serve on the second set and moved to 4-2, but it was a struggle and he became noticeably more irritable. At one point, he smacked a ball towards an advertising hoarding out of frustration and nearly hit a ball kid, quickly apologising. Djokovic got work on his foot during a medical time in set three, seemingly for a blister, as they exchanged breaks and the set went to a tiebreak where he proved the most resilient. Djokovic has been tied with Margaret Court on 24 major titles since winning the US Open in 2023.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates victory over Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp after their men's singles match on day seven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 24, 2026. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP)

Tennis

Record-shattering Novak Djokovic became the first player to win 400 Grand Slam matches Saturday on his way into the last 16 at the Australian Open.

Djokovic wins record 400th Slam match to power on in Australia

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Cricket Australia on Monday announced a 17-player squad for a three-match T20I series in Pakistan, set to serve as final preparation ahead of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistanorigin-us-cricketers-denied-indian-visas-for-t20-world-cup" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup</a>. All three matches will be held at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pcb-confirms-dates-for-australias-threematch-t20i-series-in-lahore" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore</a>&nbsp;from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1. The series comes as the Big Bash League (BBL) finals are underway in Australia, with some players joining the squad after their BBL campaigns conclude. Mitchell Marsh will lead the side as captain, while&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/heads-69ball-ton-powers-australia-to-victory-in-ashes-opener" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Travis Head</a>, Cameron Green, and Josh Inglis &mdash; who recently featured in Australia&rsquo;s Ashes series against England &mdash; are also included. Several key T20 World Cup players will miss the Pakistan tour due to injury management or fitness concerns, including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Nathan Ellis, and Tim David. The squad includes promising young players such as Mahli Beardman and Jack Edwards, who have impressed in recent BBL seasons and remain uncapped at the international level. Additional cover is provided by Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis, Mitch Owen, Josh Phillippe, and Matthew Renshaw. Australia&rsquo;s Chair of Selectors George Bailey said, &ldquo;The series is a great opportunity for young players and those on the fringe of selection to gain valuable experience with the World Cup group in Pakistan.&rdquo; Full Australia T20I squad for Pakistan series:Mitch Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Mahli Beardman, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Jack Edwards, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitch Owen, Josh Phillippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matt Short, Marcus Stonis, Adam Zampa

All three matches will be held at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1

Australia announce squad for three-game T20I series in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday confirmed the schedule for Australia&rsquo;s three-match T20I series in Pakistan, with all matches set to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium later this month, the cricket board said. The series will be held on Jan. 29, 31, and Feb. 1, with the Australian squad scheduled to arrive in Lahore on Wednesday, Jan. 28. According to the PCB, the coin toss for all three matches will take place at 5:30 p.m. PKT, with the first ball bowled at 6 p.m. The T20I series will provide crucial match practice for both teams ahead of the ICC Men&rsquo;s T20 World Cup 2026. Pakistan are placed in Group A, while Australia will compete in Group B of the tournament. This will be Australia&rsquo;s third tour of Pakistan since March-April 2022, when they played a three-match Test series, a three-match ODI series, and a one-off T20I. The Australian side also featured in three matches of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 held in Pakistan. Australia had edged Pakistan by three wickets in the only T20I played between the two sides at the Gaddafi Stadium on April 5, 2022.&nbsp;PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmed Syed said the board was looking forward to hosting the Australian team in Lahore.&nbsp;&ldquo;We are excited to host Australia for the three-match T20I series here in Lahore. The tour marks a blockbuster beginning of the year for Pakistan cricket fans, and I urge them to turn out in numbers to support both teams as they finalize their preparations for the T20 World Cup,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;He added that the Gaddafi Stadium had become a familiar venue for the Australian team, which has played a Test match, five ODIs, and one T20I there since March 2022.&nbsp;Series schedule (all matches at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore)&bull; 1st T20I &mdash; Thursday, Jan. 29 &mdash; 6 p.m. PKT &nbsp;&bull; 2nd T20I &mdash; Saturday, Jan. 31 &mdash; 6 p.m. PKT &nbsp;&bull; 3rd T20I &mdash; Sunday, Feb. 1 &mdash; 6 p.m. PKT

The series begins on Jan. 29 and ends on Feb. 1, with the Australian squad scheduled to arrive in Lahore on Jan. 28.

PCB confirms dates for Australia’s three-match T20I series in Lahore

SYDNEY: Australian firefighters warned people on Monday to prepare for more bushfires in a &quot;high-risk&quot; summer, after blazes killed one person and incinerated more than 350 buildings in the southeast. Weather conditions have eased since strong winds and temperatures topping 40 &deg;C fueled dozens of wildfires in southeastern Australia&#39;s Victoria, which declared a state of disaster on Saturday. But officials said 12 major fires were still burning across the state. Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan said another &quot;heating event&quot; was expected towards the end of January, though its intensity was uncertain. &quot;We are early in the high-risk weather season,&quot; Heffernan told a news conference. &quot;There&#39;s been a lot of fire in the landscape. Much work will be done between now and then to contain these fires,&quot; he said. &quot;Whilst we join with the community in the rebuilding and the relief and recovery of the fires that have been, we need to turn our minds to the fires that could be as the season continues.&quot; More than 350 structures, including over 65 homes, have been lost so far in the state, officials said, with the number likely to rise as fire damage is assessed. One person died in a fire near the town of Longwood, about two hours&#39; drive north of the state capital Melbourne, police say. Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said weather conditions had become more favourable for firefighters. &quot;But that doesn&#39;t mean that the risk is over,&quot; he said. &quot;Whilst the conditions are easing in some parts of the state, even the slightest of winds are still causing those fires to move around.&quot; High temperatures and dry winds combined last week to form some of the most dangerous bushfire conditions since the &quot;Black Summer&quot; blazes. The Black Summer bushfires raged across Australia&#39;s eastern seaboard from late 2019 to early 2020, razing millions of hectares, destroying thousands of homes, and blanketing cities in noxious smoke. Australia&#39;s climate has warmed by an average of 1.51 &deg;C since 1910, researchers have found, fuelling increasingly frequent extreme weather patterns over both land and sea.

This handout photo from the CFA Wandong Fire Brigade, posted on their Facebook page, taken on January 7, 2026, and released on January 8, shows a bushfire burning near the town of Longwood, northern Victoria. (AFP)

Wildlife

A high-risk summer is expected, as 12 major blazes burn in Victoria, where fires have killed one person, destroyed over 350 buildings, and followed extreme heat and strong winds last week.

Australian firefighters warn of 'high-risk' bushfire season

SYDNEY: Former Australian Test batsman Damien Martyn has been rushed to hospital in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis, media reports said on Wednesday. The 54-year-old, who played 67 Tests between 1992 and 2006 and 208 one-day internationals, was admitted on Boxing Day last week after falling ill while lying down. Australian media said he was being treated for meningitis, which can be deadly. Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. &quot;He is getting the best of treatment,&quot; Test great and close friend Adam Gilchrist told The Australian newspaper. &quot;Amanda (his partner) and his family know that a lot of people are sending their prayers and best wishes.&quot; Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann, a long-time teammate of Martyn&#39;s, also sent support. &quot;Lots of love and prayers... keep strong and fighting, legend. Love to the family,&quot; he wrote on X. Known as one of the game&#39;s great strokemakers, Martyn became a key figure in Steve Waugh&#39;s all-powerful Australian side, hitting 13 centuries and averaging 46.37. He was also part of the Australian team that won the 2003 ODI World Cup, cracking 88 not out in the final against India in a match-winning partnership with Ricky Ponting. He retired in 2006 during the Ashes series and has kept a low profile since.

54-year-old, who played 67 Tests between 1992 and 2006 and 208 one-day internationals, admitted on Boxing Day last week after falling ill while lying down; reports say he is being treated for meningitis, which can be deadly.

Australian cricket great Damien Martyn 'in induced coma'

MELBOURNE: England completed a dramatic four-wicket win over Australia in the fourth Test of the Ashes at Melbourne on Saturday after a low-scoring contest dominated by fast bowlers. Set a target of 175, England were bowled out for 110 in their first innings before recovering in the second to reach 178 for six, sealing victory late on day two. Australia were dismissed for 152 and 132 across their two innings.&nbsp;The match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground saw collapses from both sides.&nbsp; Australia&rsquo;s first innings was undone by Josh Tongue, who claimed five wickets, while Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse provided strong support.&nbsp;Michael Neser was Australia&rsquo;s top scorer with 35.&nbsp;England&rsquo;s reply faltered early as Mitchell Starc and Neser tore through the top order, leaving them reeling at 16 for four. A counter-attacking 41 from Harry Brook steadied the innings briefly before they were bowled out for 110.&nbsp;In Australia&rsquo;s second innings, Travis Head scored a fighting 46 but the hosts were again bundled out cheaply, with Carse and Ben Stokes sharing key wickets.&nbsp; Chasing 175, England lost early wickets but held their nerve, finishing the job with four wickets in hand. Jacob Bethell contributed 40 and Zak Crawley 37. &quot;A good feeling, a tough tour up to now,&quot; said England skipper Ben Stokes. &quot;After the build-up to the Test, a lot thrown our way, to put in a performance on the back of all that, and beat a very good Australian team, a lot of credit has to go to players, staff and management for keeping the focus on cricket. &quot;Very proud. We showed bravery and were courageous.&quot; England crashed in the first three Tests and came to Melbourne under enormous pressure amid questions about their limited preparations and allegations of excessive drinking during a mid-series beach break. But they finally came good and will head to Sydney for the fifth and final Test brimming with confidence. England had not won a Test in Australia since January 2011 at Sydney, losing 16 and drawing two since, and openers Crawley and Ben Duckett had a clear objective to snap the streak -- play ultra-aggressive &quot;Bazball&quot; style. Duckett hit a boundary off Mitchell Starc in his first over while Crawley slammed Michael Neser for a six and a four in successive balls. They brought up a whirlwind fifty opening partnership but next ball Duckett was bowled by a Starc yorker for 34. Fast bowler Brydon Carse then strode to the middle as a surprise number three in place of Bethell. But England&#39;s pinch-hitting experiment failed as Carse lasted only eight balls before skying Jhye Richardson to Cameron Green. Crawley fell lbw to Scott Boland after a gritty knock and Bethell was caught by Usman Khawaja from the same bowler. Richardson trapped Joe Root lbw for 15 and Starc accounted for Ben Stokes for two, but by then only 10 runs were needed and Brook and Smith completed the job. &quot;It was a tricky one, a quick game,&quot; said Australia captain Steve Smith. &quot;If we had got 50-60 more in both innings then things might have been different. The wicket played as expected, but once the ball softened, it didn&#39;t quite behave the way I&#39;d hoped. &quot;When you see 36 wickets fall in two days, that probably tells you it did a bit more than intended,&quot; he added of the MCG pitch.

Australia still lead the five-match series 3-1.

England beat Australia in fourth Ashes Test by 4 wickets

ADELAIDE: A dominant Australia collected the last four wickets they needed Sunday, to win the third Test and retain the Ashes in just 11 days of cricket, crushing the dreams of an England side who finally showed some fight.&nbsp;England&#39;s dogged resistance on day five at Adelaide Oval lasted into the second session before Scott Boland removed Josh Tongue for an 82-run victory to ensure the famous urn remains in Australian hands.&nbsp;The tourists needed a win to keep the five-match series alive after being crushed by eight wickets at Perth and Brisbane, with two more Tests still to play at Melbourne and Sydney.&nbsp;But despite showing more grit, they were again outplayed by an Australian team who suffered a setback with spin wizard Nathan Lyon hurting his hamstring and hobbling off.&nbsp;Chasing 435 was always going to be a huge challenge, with no side ever reeling in more than 418 to win in Test history, but England at least gave it a crack as they scored 352 all out.&nbsp;Their demise in just 11 days is the joint second quickest in more than a century since the 1921 series was completed in eight days, with their &quot;Bazball&quot; style of ultra-attacking cricket exposed.&nbsp;England&#39;s capitulation over three Tests is a far cry from the pre-Ashes hype where they were touted as having their best chance in a generation to win a series in Australia.&nbsp;And it made a mockery of former fast bowler Stuart Broad&#39;s claim that the hosts had their weakest side in 15 years, written off by others as a &quot;Dad&#39;s Army.&quot;&nbsp;The reality for Ben Stokes&#39;s men is that England have now gone 18 Tests since winning in Australia, dating back to their last series victory there in 2010-11.&nbsp;Their last three trips yielded one-sided scorelines of 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0, with more of the same on the cards unless there is a dramatic shift in their fortunes.&nbsp;&#39;Livin&#39; on a Prayer&#39;They resumed on 207-6 with Will Jacks on 11 and Jamie Smith two.&nbsp;Smith showed early intent by slog-sweeping Lyon over deep midwicket for six then banged another off Cameron Green as the Barmy Army fans broke into Bon Jovi&#39;s &quot;Livin&#39; on a Prayer.&quot;&nbsp;After four days of searing heat and sunshine, the lights were on with dark clouds looming and after 40 minutes the players went off as fine rain returned.&nbsp;It was a passing shower and they were back out 40 minutes later with lunch pushed back by half an hour.&nbsp;Lyon limped off soon after the restart after pulling a hamstring in sliding to save a boundary.&nbsp;He was sent for scans and ruled out of the rest of the Test, later seen on crutches with rest of the series for him in peril.&nbsp;When Mitchell Starc took the new ball, Smith began hitting out, crunching two fours in a row, and it proved his downfall when he skied to Pat Cummins at midwicket.&nbsp;Will Jacks produced his highest Test score of 47 and steered England&#39;s chase below 100.&nbsp;But he fell to another spectacular catch from Marnus Labuschange, diving to his left in front of wicketkeeper Alex Carey after an edge off Starc.&nbsp;Starc struck again to send Jofra Archer packing before Boland took out Tongue, sparking huge celebrations.&nbsp;England took six wickets before lunch on Saturday to wrap up Australia&#39;s second innings for 349 with Travis Head slamming 170.&nbsp;They then survived for two sessions, but the wheels came off courtesy of Lyon.&nbsp;He bowled Harry Brook and Ben Stokes before tempting Zak Crawley down the wicket to be stumped by Alex Carey for 85, with Cummins accounting for danger man Joe Root on 39.&nbsp;It was left to Smith and Jacks to ensure it would go to a fifth day.

England fall 82 runs short of 435-run target in Adelaide.

Articles tagged with "Australia"