Scott Boland of Australia celebrates with team mates (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Australia have retained the Ashes with two matches still to play after Mitchell Starc claimed three of the final four wickets to halt England’s valiant fightback on the fifth day of the third Test at Adelaide Oval. The hosts secured an 82-run victory, leaving England unable to chase the challenging target of 435—a total that would have required a world-record fourth-innings run chase. Australia began Day 5 needing just four wickets to confirm their hold on the urn, with England resuming at 6-207 and still 228 runs short. Captain Pat Cummins described the win as “pretty awesome,” praising the team’s effort in a tough, drawn-out contest. Cummins, returning from a back injury that sidelined him for the first two Tests, noted that Test cricket in Australia is often a grind and lauded his teammates for their persistence. Steve Smith had led Australia to eight-wicket victories in Perth and Brisbane but missed the Adelaide Test due to vertigo, ruling him out just before the toss.

The day began with England pushing back, adding 102 runs in the morning session before Jamie Smith fell to Cummins for 60. England briefly narrowed the Ashes equation at lunch, leaving Australia needing three wickets to secure the series while the visitors required 126 runs to stay alive. No team in Test history has chased more than West Indies’ 418 in 2003 to win in the fourth innings. England skipper Ben Stokes admitted he felt his side could achieve a record chase, but Australia’s attack, led by Starc, proved decisive despite Nathan Lyon leaving the field with a hamstring injury. Starc removed Will Jacks (47), Jofra Archer (3), and set up Scott Boland to finish off Josh Tongue (1), leaving Brydon Carse stranded on 39 as England were all out for 352. Alex Carey was awarded player of the match for his crucial contributions—a century in the first innings, a half-century in the second alongside Travis Head’s 170, and seven dismissals behind the stumps. Stokes acknowledged the disappointment but praised his team’s resilience and urged them to focus on the remaining two Tests. Lyon’s injury, sustained while diving to stop a boundary, ruled him out for the rest of the match. England’s woes in Australia continue, with the team going 5,462 days without a Test win Down Under, extending a winless streak through series results of 5-0, 4-0, 4-0, and now 3-0. Melbourne will host the Boxing Day Test on December 26, followed by the New Year’s Test in Sydney.

PILIBHIT: A retired sub-inspector of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and his wife have been booked for allegedly killing a 28-year-old man over suspicion that he was having an affair with their daughter, police said on Saturday.Sukhdev Singh, the 28-year-old, was a resident of Tonadrpur village in Neuria area and had been involved in running an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) coaching centre from the premises of the accused couple — Puran Singh (62), a resident of Narayanpur village in Pilibhit’s Puranpur area, and his wife, Gurmeet Kaur.

Police said the case was registered on the complaint of the victim’s father, Harjinder Singh, a farmer, who alleged that Puran Singh suspected Sukhdev of having an illicit relationship with his daughter, which led to the killing. The daughter had recently left for Australia on a student visa on Dec 15.According to the complaint, Sukhdev had shut down his IELTS centre over a year ago. As Puran Singh and his wife did not have a son, they treated Sukhdev like a family member. On Saturday morning, Sukhdev reportedly received a phone call from Puran Singh and left home without disclosing the reason. Around 9.30 am, the family was informed that he had been shot dead. Harjinder Singh rushed to the spot and found his son’s body inside Puran Singh’s house.SHO Pawan Pandey said that “Puran Singh’s licensed pistol was used in the incident.” “The bullet pierced Sukhdev’s chest and exited, hitting a sofa in the room. Gurmeet Kaur also sustained a bullet injury to her shoulder and was admitted to a govt medical facility,” the SHO added. Meanwhile, Gurmeet Kaur gave a different account to the police, claiming that Sukhdev had taken Rs 50 lakh from her husband in instalments on the pretext of investing in a business and was avoiding repayment. She alleged that a dispute broke out over the money when Sukhdev visited their house on Saturday morning, during which he allegedly shot her with a pistol before turning the weapon on himself.Police said a forensic team collected evidence from the spot, and the bullet that injured Gurmeet Kaur would be sent for forensic examination to determine the weapon used. Based on the complaint filed by the victim’s father, a case has been registered against Puran Singh and his wife under BNS Section 103(1) (murder).

In a high-security Shenzhen laboratory, Chinese scientists have achieved what Washington spent years trying to prevent and what Europe’s leading chip equipment maker said was impossible: building a working prototype of an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machine, dubbed “China’s Manhattan Project,” capable of producing the cutting-edge semiconductor chips that power artificial intelligence, smartphones, and advanced weapons systems. The breakthrough, as reported by Reuters, could prove ASML’s CEO dramatically underestimated China’s semiconductor capabilities.The prototype, completed in early 2025 and now undergoing testing, was reportedly built by former engineers from Dutch semiconductor giant ASML who reverse-engineered the company’s technology. While ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet said in April that China would need “many, many years” to develop such technology, Reuters reports suggest Beijing may be years closer to chip independence than Western experts anticipated.

Former ASML engineers built China’s prototype using reverse engineering

The machine fills nearly an entire factory floor and is operational, successfully generating extreme ultraviolet light, though it has not yet produced working chips, according to two people with knowledge of the project who spoke to Reuters. The Chinese government has set a target of producing working chips by 2028, though sources close to the project say 2030 is more realistic—still years ahead of the decade-long timeline many analysts had projected.The breakthrough marks the culmination of a six-year government initiative described by sources as China’s version of the Manhattan Project. Huawei plays a key coordinating role across a web of companies and state research institutes involving thousands of engineers, Reuters reported.

China recruited ASML veterans with fake IDs and million-dollar bonuses

According to Reuters, the team includes recently retired Chinese-born former ASML engineers recruited with signing bonuses starting at $420,000 to $700,000. One veteran engineer received a fake identification card along with his signing bonus, and found other former ASML colleagues also working under aliases to maintain secrecy.The project falls under China’s semiconductor strategy run by Xi Jinping confidant Ding Xuexiang, who heads the Communist Party’s Central Science and Technology Commission. “The aim is for China to eventually be able to make advanced chips on machines that are entirely China-made,” one source told Reuters. “China wants the United States 100% kicked out of its supply chains.”

ASML monopolizes EUV technology that powers AI chips and military systems

EUV machines are critical for producing cutting-edge semiconductor chips that power artificial intelligence, smartphones, and weapons systems. ASML is currently the only company that has mastered this technology, with machines costing around $250 million each. The company told Reuters it took nearly two decades and billions of euros before producing its first commercially-available chips in 2019.ASML CEO Fouquet has repeatedly downplayed China’s semiconductor capabilities. In December 2024, he told Dutch media that China is currently 10 to 15 years behind the West in chipmaking. “By banning the export of EUV, China will lag 10 to 15 years behind the West,” he said. “That really has an effect.” In February 2025, he told The Wall Street Journal that export controls remain effective despite advances like DeepSeek’s AI model. “If you don’t have the most advanced technology at hand, you won’t be as good as the people who have it,” he insisted.The United States has blocked ASML from selling EUV systems to China since 2018, restrictions that expanded under the Biden administration in 2022. No EUV system has ever been sold to a customer in China, ASML confirmed to Reuters.Yet export restrictions have struggled to contain China’s ambitions. The country has been salvaging components from older ASML machines and sourcing parts through secondhand markets to build its prototype, with networks of intermediary companies sometimes masking the ultimate buyer, sources said. International banks regularly auction older semiconductor fabrication equipment, with auctions in China selling older ASML lithography equipment as recently as October 2025, according to a review of listings on Alibaba Auction.ASML told Reuters it “vigilantly guards” trade secrets and has “successfully pursued legal action in response to the theft of trade secrets.” The company won an $845 million judgment in 2019 against a former Chinese engineer accused of stealing trade secrets, but the defendant filed for bankruptcy and continues to operate in Beijing with Chinese government support, according to court documents.The Shenzhen prototype suggests that China’s biggest breakthrough in the semiconductor race may have come not from circumventing Western export controls, but from the very engineers who built the technology those controls were designed to protect.

Australia have retained the Ashes after defeating England by 82 runs in the third Test at the Adelaide Oval, racing to an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. The victory capped a dominant stretch for the hosts, who wrapped up the contest on the final day despite determined resistance from England’s lower order.

Chasing a daunting 435, England were dismissed for 352, falling short after briefly threatening to extend the match deeper into the afternoon. The result sparked celebrations among the home side and underlined Australia’s authority throughout the series so far.

England show fight but fall short on final day in Adelaide

England began Day 5 with faint hopes and responded with commendable grit. Jamie Smith, Will Jacks and Brydon Carse stitched together valuable runs to keep Australia waiting, frustrating the bowlers with disciplined defence and timely counterattacks.

However, the task remained steep against a relentless Australian attack. Just as England threatened to narrow the gap, wickets arrived at regular intervals, preventing any genuine late surge. The chase ultimately ran out of momentum, ending England’s hopes of salvaging the Test.

Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland finish the job for Australia

Australia’s bowlers held their nerve on the final day. Mitchell Starc struck three times, using pace and angle to break key partnerships, while Scott Boland delivered the final blow to end England’s resistance and seal the match.

The disciplined bowling effort ensured Australia maintained control despite England’s stubborn stand, closing out a win that reflected their superiority across all five days in Adelaide.

The groundwork for Australia’s triumph was laid earlier in the Test through a powerful batting display in the second innings. Travis Head’s commanding 170 anchored the innings, while Alex Carey’s fluent 72 provided crucial middle-order support.

Their contributions pushed Australia to a position of dominance and set England an imposing fourth-innings target that proved beyond reach. The pair’s efforts were central to shaping the match and applying sustained pressure on the visitors.

Australia retain the Ashes in just 11 days

The Adelaide victory followed eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, meaning Australia wrapped up Ashes retention in just 11 days of cricket – one of the fastest series clinches in nearly a century.

With two Tests still to play, Australia have already secured the urn, highlighting the gulf between the sides over the opening three matches.

Also WATCH: Nathan Lyon rattles Ben Stokes’ off stump with a beauty on Day 4 of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide

Here are the reactions of fans:

Goodbye Bazball 👋🏻 #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/HbL6mmSfD7

— Lachy (@Lachy_Steele) December 21, 2025

Australia retain the Ashes 🏆#ashes #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/U0Am9pVVEW

— Adelaide Oval (@TheAdelaideOval) December 21, 2025

Quickest Ashes victories (5+ match series)
8 days – aus 1921
11 DAYS – AUS 2025/26
11 days – aus 2002/03
11 days – aus 2001

#AUSvENG

— Swamp (@sirswampthing) December 21, 2025

Australia have gone 3-0 and they’ve retained the Ashes

It’s staying put where it should be

You bloody beauty

Let’s gooooooooooooo

💚💛💚💛🇦🇺🦘#AUSvENG #Ashes #ashes25 pic.twitter.com/Ml3c1XGbN2

— JAKE FLAGPIES23 🏆🖤🤍 (@IncrediblyBozza) December 21, 2025

A match-winning performance from Alex Carey: 106 & 72 ✨#Ashes2025 #AlexCarey #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/2KukXGbLGm

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) December 21, 2025

Bazball is officially dead. England’s playing Tests like T20s, no control from players. It works against weak sides/bowling, but crumbles vs stronger squads. From 3rd Test, they switched to normal if they’d done it in start, series might’ve turned out different. #Ashes #AUSvENG

— Anurag Bhattarai (@Anurag_Bhttri19) December 21, 2025

Wicketkeepers clinching POTM honors in #TheAshes:

– Ian Healy – Trent Bridge, 1997
– Adam Gilchrist – Edgbaston, 2001
– Alex Carey – Adelaide Oval, 2025#AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/qiK01eJHk2

— Arshy (@imArshit) December 21, 2025

Worst Aussie team in a decade? Yet they’ve sealed the Ashes in just over 10 days. Ruthless dominance! 💥🇦🇺

#Ashes #AUSvENG pic.twitter.com/Y9IYXkGegZ

— tillu badmas 💀 (@SiddharthKaura2) December 21, 2025

We can laugh at Bazball all we like, but chasing 435 in Adelaide and finishing 352 all out is not nothing. England were 82 runs short of a miracle Ashes chase. Give those batters a bit more game awareness and this exact style was close to stealing it. #Ashes #AUSvENG
#Ashes2025 pic.twitter.com/7i7gXfnY2G

— Wallflower (@mariyatresa) December 21, 2025

🚨ENGLAND IN THE LAST 18 TESTS IN AUSTRALIA:🚨

Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost, Draw, Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost, Draw, Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost.#Ashes #Ashes2025 #AUSvENG #Adelaide pic.twitter.com/nhQ0P7ReIf

— urstruly (@VikashChou70911) December 21, 2025

This was a very good movie, I rated it 5/5 👌 #AUSvsENG #AUSvENG #Ashes #Ashes2025 #ashes25 pic.twitter.com/zhu4TxOjQx

— JAKE FLAGPIES23 🏆🖤🤍 (@IncrediblyBozza) December 21, 2025

I just remembered Starc was on two warnings for running on the pitch and another one would have seen him banned from bowling for the rest of the innings. Just as well that didn’t happen as he took 3 wickets today and we would have been 2 bowlers down. #ausveng #Ashes

— Rory Burnside (@RoryBurnside) December 21, 2025

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Devon Conway of New Zealand (Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)

Devon Conway produced a performance for the ages at Bay Oval, scripting a slice of New Zealand cricket history in the third and final Test against the West Indies. The left-handed opener became the first player from the country to score a double-century and a century in the same Test, a feat achieved by only a handful of batters in the long history of the format. After his monumental 227 in the first innings, Conway returned in the second to compile a calm and assured 100, bringing up the landmark shortly before the tea interval on the fourth day. The effort placed the 34-year-old in an exclusive global list, making him just the 10th cricketer ever to combine a double-hundred and a hundred in one Test match. In doing so, he joined an elite group that includes the likes of Brian Lara, Graham Gooch, Kumar Sangakkara, Marnus Labuschagne, and Shubman Gill.

Conway’s marathon knock in the first innings was the cornerstone of New Zealand’s dominant position in the match, as the hosts amassed 575 for 8. The West Indies showed resilience in reply, battling their way to 420 all out, but remained on the back foot throughout. The second-innings century was Conway’s seventh in Test cricket, further cementing his reputation as one of New Zealand’s most reliable performers at the highest level. The hosts entered the final Test holding a 1–0 advantage in the three-match series, following a draw in Christchurch and a convincing nine-wicket win in Wellington. Conway’s stay in the second innings ended just after tea. Attempting a pull shot, he picked out deep mid-wicket, where Jayden Seales judged the ball perfectly, moving to his left before leaping to complete a sharp two-handed catch off Kavem Hodge. Tom Latham, batting alongside Conway, was also dismissed shortly after reaching his century, with Hodge and Seales again combining to strike for the visitors. With Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra both accelerating towards their half-centuries, Latham opted to declare, setting the West Indies a daunting target of 462 to chase in the final innings.

This New Year eve, hotels are pulling out a range of attractions — morning yoga, DIY cocktail stalls, recovery brunches and much more, to lure in guests. However, these celebrations come with a hefty price tag, pushing room tariffs higher for the year ending period. Hotel operators told ET that New Year rates for 2026 are broadly higher by 10–20% compared with last year, reflecting strong demand across leisure hotspots and major urban centres. At Leela Palaces Hotels and Resorts, prices for select festive getaway packages have gone up by about 20%, according to Madhav Sehgal, senior vice-president and head of sales and operations. He said both heritage destinations such as Udaipur and Jaipur, and urban markets like New Delhi and Gurugram, are witnessing strong demand driven by domestic travellers, international visitors and premium festive events. The luxury chain is hosting Picante-themed celebrations at its properties, along with activities such as baking workshops and guided yoga sessions. Similar trends are visible across other hotel groups. Radisson Hotel Group expects rate growth of 15–18% at destinations including Jawai, Kumbhalgarh and Jodhpur, said Nikhil Sharma, managing director and chief operating officer (South Asia). “In the South, our resort in Mamallapuram is seeing a nearly 20% uptick in rates for the New Year dates.” Demand indicators for December remain firm across the industry. Average daily room rates are up 10–12% year on year, said KB Kachru, president of the Hotel Association of India. “Although we witnessed a bit of regional softness mid-year, the industry showed remarkable resilience and is ending 2025 on a strong note,” he said. Travel booking platforms are also seeing a surge. Cleartrip reported a two-and-a-half times increase in hotel bookings for the year-end season compared with last year. “Average spends per traveller are up, driven not by prices alone, but by demand for longer stays and immersive experiences,” a spokesperson said. To stand out during the crowded festive calendar, hotels are designing more elaborate stay packages. Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre has added a ‘recovery brunch’ to help guests ease into the new year, along with extended happy hours from noon to 8 pm. “Given the holiday season and year-end travel mood, we wanted to elevate the guest experience by offering longer, more relaxed hours for them to unwind,” a spokesperson said. In Chennai, ITC Grand Chola is offering a New Year buffet inspired by global night markets, alongside a 13-course Avartana dining experience, a brand that positions itself as a modern reimagining of South Indian cuisine. “Rates are similar to last year in some hotels, but there have been entirely new curations where we have offered unique experiences at competitive pricing,” an ITC spokesperson told ET. At Ronil Goa–JdV by Hyatt, guests can expect do-it-yourself bars and spirit-forward beverage concepts, said general manager Pratiti Rajpal. Six Senses Bhutan is extending special rates for Indian citizens for a ‘mindful’ celebration package that includes TsaTsa making, butter lamp prayers, aqua meditation, and cocktail masterclasses, even as most domestic properties record higher tariffs. Mid-scale and leisure-focused hotels are also benefiting from the festive rush. Sarovar Hotels has increased rates by 10% compared with last year, according to chief executive Jatin Khanna, who said destinations such as Jim Corbett, Puducherry, Agra and Jaipur are seeing strong New Year demand. Leisure Hotels Group has raised New Year rates by 10–12%, citing high demand for resort stays, ET reported. City hotels, meanwhile, are pointing to recent investments to justify festive pricing. “Our festive rates are in line with the significant upgrades we have introduced. These include transformed rooms and suites to advanced, state-of the-art air purification systems installed across the hotel, and curated gourmet experiences,” said Anmol Ahluwalia, area director, operations and general manager at Taj Mahal, New Delhi.