England, after losing the first two matches of the tour, will need to win the third match at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne to keep the Ashes 2021-22 series alive. Australia are the holders, courtesy a 2-2 draw in England in the previous series, and a draw in the Boxing Day Test is enough to retain the urn. The match will be telecast live and fans can also stream it online.
Australia have been brilliant so far in the series. They started the series with a wicket off the very first ball of the series, won the first Test at The Gabba by nine wickets and the second at Adelaide Oval by 275 runs. Except for the coronavirus scare which forced the new captain Pat Cummins to sit out of the second match, it's been smooth sailing for the hosts. Now they are out to clinch the Ashes. In fact, Cummins & Co are going for a series sweep, which the Aussies last achieved in 2013-14.
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For England, often chided for being too soft, the Boxing Day Test presents more than a cricketing challenge. As Aussie great Glenn McGrath asked, England cricketers will need to show what it means to play for the country. After all, Ashes is no ordinary cricket series. The symbolic urn, which preserves the ashes of their cricketing legacy, is worth fighting for. Many have claimed that Joe Root & Co are not doing enough to reclaim it.
Head-to-head
This is the 354th Test meeting between the two traditional rivals. Australia lead the head-to-head series 148-110 with another 95 encounters ending in draws. In Australia, they have played 182 times, with the Aussies leading 97-57. And more strikingly, Australia are unbeaten in the last 12 outings, winning 11 of those.
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Venue Guide
Melbourne Cricket Ground, which traditionally hosts the Boxing Day Test, is a hunting ground for the Aussies. But England have had their share of success at the venue. Australia have won 64, lost 32 and drawn 17 in 113 Tests. England have won 20, lost 28 and drawn eight in 56 Tests played at the G.
When is the third Ashes 2021-22 Test match between Australia vs England?
The third Ashes 2021-22 Test between Australia vs England will be played from December 26 to 30.
What time will the third Ashes 2021-22 Test between Australia vs England start?
The third Ashes 2021-22 Test between Australia vs England will start at 05:00 AM IST/10:30 AM local, every day.
Which channel will telecast the third Test match of Ashes 2021-22 cricket series live?
Sony Pictures and Sports Network has the broadcast rights for the Ashes 2021-22 cricket series. All five Australia vs England Test matches will be telecast live on Sony Six.
How to live stream the third Ashes 2021-22 cricket Test match between Australia and England?
Sony LIV will live stream the Ashes cricket series in India. [7Plus (AUS), BT Sport (UK), Sky Sport (NZ), Willow TV via Sling TV (US)]
Teams
Both the teams have announced their respective playing XIs. England have made four changes with Jonny Bairstow making a return while Australia have handed Scott Boland debut. Skipper Cummins is also back. Here are the teams:
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Australia: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
England: Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Jack Leach, Jimmy Anderson.
