Australia are hurtling towards Ashes retention after Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon returned to leave England 8-213, with the tourists trailing by 158 runs in Adelaide.

On a day where DRS drama again overshadowed play, Cummins took three wickets and Lyon two as England stumbled in their first innings in reply to the hosts' 371.

Day two of the third Test had begun as a golden opportunity for England to make Australia toil in the sun, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees at Adelaide Oval.

But instead it turned into another nightmare, beginning with Australia's tail wagging and ending with Ben Stokes offering an at-times lonely resistance with 45no from 150 balls.

And while Stokes's patience meant England somewhat went away from their freewheeling style, the result was still the same as it has been for most of the series.

It said much about Australia's dominance that they won the first two Tests without the injured Cummins, while Lyon bowled two overs in Perth and was dropped for Brisbane.

On Thursday, the pair made their impact known.

Where England were too short with the ball, Cummins (3-54) went full and nagged away outside off to draw the edges of Zak Crawley (9) and Joe Root (19).

The ball to dismiss Crawley was classic Cummins, angling in and doing enough off the seam to take the right-hander's edge.

And his removal of Root made it 12 times in his career he has dismissed England's best batter, having done so more than any other bowler in the world.

Lyon (2-51), meanwhile, took his wickets in the space of three balls, going past Glenn McGrath and into second on Australia's all-time list in the process.

The spinner first ensured Ollie Pope's miserable tour would continue, out for three playing a poor shot when he turned a ball straight to Josh Inglis at mid wicket.

Lyon then came around the wicket to the left-handed Ben Duckett (29), drifted the ball into the England opener and then turned it away to take the top of off stump.

Then after Cameron Green had Harry Brook caught behind for 45, it was Cummins who returned to rid of Jamie Smith on 22 amid more DRS drama.

Australia's captain first thought he had his man caught at slip, before umpire Chris Gaffaney ruled the ball had come off Smith's helmet and not his glove.

There were questions over whether the catch carried, but the issue will raise further debate about Snicko given the audio spike appeared on the frame with the ball between glove and helmet.

Unlike Alex Carey's life on day one that cruelled England, where Snicko's operators admitted to human error, this one mattered little.

With the hosts employing a short-ball approach, Smith couldn't resist and a wild pull shot shortly after that went through to wicketkeeper Carey.

Again Snicko was called upon, but this time Smith was dismissed and England were faltering.

Carey, meanwhile, has had a superb series with both bat and gloves.

He had five catches on Thursday, with the fifth the pick of the lot with a superb reflex second effort up to the stumps after Boland took the outside edge of Will Jacks.

Boland also bowled Brydon Carse for a duck, swinging one back between the tailender's bat and pad.

And while Jofra Archer hit an unbeaten 30 late to support a cramping Stokes, Australia ended day two well on top with a win or draw enough to keep the urn.