Perth — A ruthless trio of pacemen and the medical men propping them up were key to Australia’s Ashes triumph, captain Steve Smith said, after his team won back the urn with a win at the Waca. Australia thrashed England by an innings and 41 runs before tea on day five of the third Test, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. Josh Hazlewood took 5/48, with fellow seamers Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc sharing three wickets as England were routed for 218 in their second innings on a cracked-up pitch. Australia’s pace dominance was underlined by England’s struggles, the tourists’ four quicks all conceding 100 plus runs as Smith’s side declared at a mammoth 662/9 on day four. "I think here in Australia [the extra pace] certainly makes a difference on the flatter tracks where there isn’t much sideways movement," Smith told reporters, having won a second man-of-the-match award in the series for his brilliant 239. "That extra air speed can make a big difference and we’ve worked rea...
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