Australia’s star batter Marnus Labuschagne rubbed salt in England with his scathing statement after the hosts defeated Ben Stokes and his team by 82 runs in the third Test of the ongoing 2025-26 Ashes at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide on December 21.
Marnus Labuschagne once again showed why he is one of Australia’s loudest and most animated players after his side sealed the 2025-26 Ashes in style. With a dominant win at the Adelaide Oval, Australia took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the ongoing five-match Test series against England and retained the Urn for the fifth consecutive time.
Marnus Labuschagne hits back at Stuart Broad after Australia seal Ashes
The Ashes have always been known for its fierce battles and unforgettable moments between England and Australia, and this edition was no different. After Australia announced their squad, former England fast bowler Stuart Broad sparked the verbal war by questioning the strength of the Australian team and calling them “the worst Australian team since 2010-11”.
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This remark did not go unnoticed within the Australian camp. Instead of responding with words, the home team gave a worthy response with dominance. Playing at home, the Kangaroos have been merciless from the start of the ongoing Test series.
They completely dominated England over three days in Perth, followed that up with another dominant victory at the Gabba, then dealt the final blow in Adelaide. With Australia retaining the Ashes urn with two matches remaining, Labuschagne did not hold back.
Marnus Labuschagne digs England as Australia chase 5-0 whitewash
Building on the team’s dominant performance, Labuschagne lashed out at English cricket pundits including Broad, saying their criticism had only pushed Australia harder in the Ashes. He noted that Australia responded perfectly by taking a 3-0 lead and winning the urn.
However, star batter Marnus Labuschagne insisted their work is not yet done as the Australians now aim for a 5-0 comprehensive sweep in the ongoing 2025-26 Ashes against England.
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Marnus Labuschagne said on ABC Sport after the Adelaide Test: “All the hype – we have to say it – being called Australia’s worst team for 15 years… like it’s nice to be sitting where we are, three to nil. The job’s not done yet; we want to make sure it’s 5-0 and really take that urn.”
Did the Australian team hear all the bluster from pundits before the start of the Ashes, calling them “the worst Australian team since 2010”?
Yes, they did. And now they have answered it.
Catch every ball this summer. Live and ad-free on ABC Radio and ABC Listen: https://t.co/WbUr1sULLV
Follow… pic.twitter.com/yOtJ7uxsHY–ABC SPORT (@abcsport) December 21, 2025
Pat Cummins attributes Ashes success to squad depth
Meanwhile, Australia captain Pat Cummins said the team was elated after a hard-fought Ashes victory. He said winning such a long Test series requires more than just the playing XI and stressed the importance of sticking to your own strengths rather than worrying too much about the opposition.
Cummins said in the post-match presentation: “It’s really great; I’ve been thinking about this series for a long time. It wasn’t easy today, but we got it done and we’re very excited about the change of dressing room. First of all, you need more than 11 players in an Ashes series – five Tests, and even three Tests, we showed that. We used 14 or 15 players. Steve was brilliant. It’s about always, always focus on what we bowlers do really well, not try to get too carried away by the opposition most of the time, we focus on what we do well.
