Zak Crawley has issued a defiant message from the Adelaide Oval, insisting his England side will continue to fight on the final day of the third Test, despite facing a monumental challenge to save the match and the Ashes series.
Set a daunting target of 435, England closed the fourth day on 207 for six, leaving them with a mountain to climb. Crawley acknowledged the scale of the task but promised no surrender.
“It’s a huge challenge from this position, there’s no hiding from that,” the opener stated. “But this team will fight until the very last ball. We’re up against it, which is tough to take, but giving up is not in our nature.”
Crawley also offered a robust defence of teammate Ollie Pope, who fell for 17, continuing a modest run of form on Australian soil. He argued that Pope’s value and quality should not be judged on a handful of innings.
“Cricket is a game of highs and lows; every player goes through it,” Crawley said. “Ollie gets scrutinised, but I look at his contributions over the past year—critical centuries against top attacks when the team needed them. He’s a world-class player operating in one of the most difficult positions in the order. A couple of quiet games don’t change that.”
Reflecting on his own innings of 85, a notably patient knock by his standards, Crawley explained it was a response to the quality of the Australian bowling attack, led by the metronomic Scott Boland, rather than a conscious change of approach.
“My intent was always positive. They bowled exceptionally well with very few scoring opportunities early on,” he explained. “You have to adapt to what’s in front of you. I back my game and my mindset, and I don’t get distracted by external commentary. I felt in good touch, but ultimately, I wanted a score that truly influenced the game, so there’s personal disappointment there.”
With Australia now on the brink of reclaiming the Ashes, Crawley was forthright in his appraisal, giving full credit to the hosts’ performance while admitting England had fallen short of their best.
“The reality is they’ve been the better team,” he conceded. “Often we look at our own performance, but you have to acknowledge when the opposition simply doesn’t allow you to play. They are an outstanding side in these conditions. They’ve executed their plans brilliantly, been relentless, and made scoring very difficult. We haven’t been at our peak, and a lot of that is down to how well they’ve played.”