Scoreboard

Result:

AUSTRALIA First Innings 442-8dec Second innings 138 ENGLAND First innings 227 Second innings

A Cook lbw Lyon .......................................................... 16 M Stoneman c Khawaja b Starc ..................... 36 J Vince c Handscomb b Starc ............................ 15 J Root c Paine b Hazlewood .............................. 67 D Malan b Cummins ................................................. 29 C Woakes c Paine b Hazlewood ........................ 5 M Ali lbw b Lyon .............................................................. 2 J Bairstow b Starc ........................................................ 36 C Overton lbw b Starc ................................................. 7 S Broad c Paine b Starc ............................................. 8 J Anderson not out ....................................................... 0 Extras (7b, 5lb) .................................................................. 12 Total (all out) .................................................................. 233 Fall: 1-53, 2-54, 3-91, 4-169 5-176, 6-177, 7-188, 8-206, 9-224, 10-233. Bowling: M Starc 19.2-3-88-5, J Hazlewood 20-7-49-2, P Cummins 20-6-39-1, N Lyon 25-6-45-2.

Australia won by 120 runs; leads 5-match series 2-0. S Marsh (Australia).

England staged a tenacious fightback, aided by Steve Smith’s decision to not enforce the follow-on during day three, but their hold on the urn is now tenuous after being rolled for 233 in the opening session.

Only one team has battled back from 2-0 down to win an Ashes series — Don Bradman’s Australia in 1936-37 on home soil. The third test starts next Thursday in Perth.

‘‘It happened really quickly,’’ Smith said after his team grabbed six wickets in a session.

Joe Root resumed at 67 on day five, with his side 176-4 and requiring a further 178 runs to complete a record run-chase of 354.

History suggested it wasn’t possible — England have never chased down more than 332 to win a test — but the agitated expression on Smith’s face confirmed it was.

Root shaped as the tourists’ beacon of hope but the captain was dismissed by Hazlewood without adding to his overnight score, undone by a hint of reverse swing and express pace.

Hazlewood, otherwise below his best in the second test, almost hit the 150 kmh mark in a fired-up opening spell that also featured the dismissal of nightwatchman Chris Woakes.

Mitchell Starc later had the second new ball hooping, snaring three wickets to finish with figures of 5-88 as Australia turned the screws.

Man of the match: