Australia break England resistance to take 2-0 Ashes lead in Adelaide

Aussie quick Jhye Richardson picks up five wickets in day-night Test to secure 275-run win

Jhye Richardson (R) celebrates his 5 wicket , dismissing England batsman James Anderson to give Australia victory in the final session on day 5 of the Second Ashes Test between Australia and England at the Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia, 20 December 2021. EPA / DAVE HUNT NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY, IMAGES TO BE USED FOR NEWS REPORTING PURPOSES ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE WHATSOEVER, NO USE IN BOOKS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN CONSENT FROM AAP AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

Jhye Richardson takes the wicket of James Anderson to clinch victory at the Adelaide Oval. EPA

Jhye Richardson picked up his maiden Test five-wicket haul. Getty

England's Chris Woakes is bowled by Jhye Richardson during the fifth day of the Adelaide Test. AP

England's Jos Buttler defied Australia for more than 200 balls on Monday. PA

England's Jos Buttler is out hit wicket against Australia on Monday. AP

Chris Woakes top-scored for England in the second innings. Reuters

Nathan Lyon greets fans after the second Test win. Getty

England's captain Joe Root, right, walks off as his counterpart Steve Smith takes the stage. AP

England batsmen fought valiantly on the final day of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide but fast bowler Jhye Richardson had the final say with a five-wicket haul as Australia prevailed by 275 runs on Monday to take a 2-0 series lead.

Chasing an unlikely victory target of 468, England were all out for 192 in the final session of the match. Chris Woakes scored 44, which was the highest individual score in England's second innings. But it was wicketkeeper Jos Buttler who defied the hosts the most with a dogged 26 off 207 balls.

In the end, pacer Richardson emerged as the match-winner, picking up 5-42 which included the scalps of Buttler and Woakes.

"They showed some great resilience today," Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith said of the visitors.

"Jos played a really good innings, he faced over 200 balls.

"We were trying to stay as calm as we could out in the middle and just thought, a couple of good balls and a couple of wickets and we'll keep going."

When Joe Root, the world's number one Test batsmen, was dismissed by Mitchell Starc in the final over on Sunday, England's hopes rested on the shoulders of all-rounder Ben Stokes.

On Monday, he tried hard and lasted 77 balls for 12 runs before off-spinner Nathan Lyon struck. The umpire initially gave the lbw shout not out, but Australia reviewed and it was shown to be in front.

Ollie Pope lasted only seven balls, edging to Steve Smith at slip off Starc. Thereafter, the visitors put up a real fight.

Jos Buttler (26) and Chris Woakes (44) dug in to frustrate Australia in a 61-run stand and raise hopes of an improbable rescue act.

However, Richardson breached Woakes' defence with an off-cutter to rattle the stumps and put the Aussie back in control.

Ollie Robinson made a dogged eight before Smith took his sixth catch of the match to dismiss him off Lyon. But the biggest moment of the day came when Buttler incredibly fell after surviving nearly 35 overs by stepping on his own stumps.

Root's team head to Melbourne for the Boxing Day Test starting Sunday knowing that the only instance of a team coming from 2-0 down to win the Ashes was Don Bradman's Aussies back in 1936-37.

"The reason it's disappointing is because we made the same mistakes. I think we could have bowled a lot fuller, and with the bat we need to be better, make bigger scores and apply better," said Root.

"The second innings is the attitude and desire we need. It's frustrating because we know we are better. Lessons learnt, we have to be better in the next game."

Root added that England can't afford to feel sorry for themselves and urged his players to replicate the fight shown by Buttler in the remaining matches in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart.

"The Ashes are on the line here, if that is not motivation, I don’t know what is," Root added.

"Ultimately that is the attitude and the mentality we have to harness over the next five days. I am extremely proud of the way the guys fought today, that attitude and desire that’s how we need to go about a whole Test match.

"I thought Jos’s innings was outstanding on that pitch. He should have gained a lot more confidence from this."