Australia has overcome a stubborn knock from Jos Buttler to crush England by 275 runs in the second Ashes Test and take a 2-0 series lead.

Set 468 runs to win, the tourists were bowled out for 192 with about 21 overs remaining on Monday’s final day of play at Adelaide Oval.

Buttler (26) soaked up 207 deliveries before treading on his stumps to be out hit wicket in a losing cause that leaves the tourists needing a Bradmanesque feat to reclaim the Ashes.

Only one team has come from 2-0 down to win an Ashes series: Don Bradman’s Australians in 1936-37.

Paceman Jhye Richardson took five wickets as Australia followed its nine-wicket triumph in the first Test with another resounding win.

Knocked him over!

Richardson cuts Woakes in half with a beauty #Ashes pic.twitter.com/2GtxqY2RJA

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 20, 2021

But the Australians were forced to toil for a triumph under stand-in skipper Steve Smith, which extends their perfect record in day-night Tests, winning all of their nine pink-ball matches.

And victory was achieved without captain Pat Cummins and fellow paceman Josh Hazlewood (side strain), first and fourth in world bowling rankings respectively.

Cummins, who was ruled out of the Adelaide Test when deemed a close contact of a COVID-19 case, is certain to play in the third Test in Melbourne starting on Boxing Day.

Hazlewood will also return to Australia’s camp in days, with the hosts naming an unchanged 15-man squad for the three remaining Tests in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart.

The Australians on Monday made early inroads with key wickets inside the first hour.

England resumed on 4-82 but it took just 15 balls for the first English crack to appear when Mitchell Starc removed Ollie Pope (four), edging to Steve Smith at second slip.

Starc should have claimed another victim in his next over when a blunder from wicketkeeper Alex Carey allowed Buttler to avoid making a pair of ducks in the match.

Buttler edged behind but Carey failed to move for the catch and the ball sailed between him and David Warner at first slip.

Some 10 overs later, spinner Nathan Lyon (2-55) ended the resistance of Ben Stokes, who made 12 from 77 balls.

On the 54th ball he faced from Lyon, Stokes was trapped lbw when Australia reviewed the initial not out verdict.

Stokes’ dismissal left the visitors 6-105 but Buttler and Chris Woakes showed pluck in surviving 31 overs and putting on 61 runs.

But Richardson (5-42) struck with the second new ball, ridding Woakes (44) with a superb off-cutter which clean bowled the Englishman.

The 🐐 strikes!

Robinson edges, Smith takes a sharp catch and Australia are two wickets away…#Ashes pic.twitter.com/2ASY66RWUD

— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 20, 2021

Ollie Robinson (eight) survived 15 overs with Buttler before falling to Lyon just before tea.

Australia had a minimum 26 overs in the last session to claim the final two wickets and Buttler fell in bizarre fashion to Starc (2-43).

The Englishman, who batted deep in his crease his entire innings, played back a short ball to cover and took off for a run, only for his right heel to nudge into the stumps and gently dislodge the bails.

-AAP