England crumble against Australia in third Test

Tourists bowled out for just 68 in disastrous start

Australia need just 69 runs to win series

England suffered a humiliating collapse on the third morning of the third Ashes Test in Melbourne, being bowled out for just 68 runs in little over an hour to gift Australia a famous victory. The dismal performance leaves England with an almost insurmountable task to save the series, with Australia now needing just 69 runs to claim a 4-0 lead with two Tests to play.

Resuming on 31-4, England's hopes of a fightback were quickly extinguished as Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland ran riot with the ball. Starc claimed 4-37, while Boland took 6-7 as England's batting order capitulated in spectacular fashion.

Ben Stokes was the only batsman to offer any resistance, scoring 25, but he was eventually trapped lbw by Boland. The dismissal sparked a collapse of the last four wickets for just 11 runs, as England were dismissed for their lowest total in an Ashes Test since 1947.

The victory is a major boost for Australia, who now have one hand on the Ashes trophy. England, meanwhile, face an uphill battle to salvage something from the series, with the fourth Test starting in Sydney on January 4.

Conclusion: England's dismal performance in Melbourne has left them on the brink of a humiliating series defeat. The tourists must now regroup and find a way to turn things around in Sydney, but they face a daunting task against an in-form Australia side.