Already one up in the series, Australia consolidated their position with a big win in the third Test, in Adelaide.
Batting first, captain Mark Taylor laid the platform with 59 before Justin Langer took over with an unbeaten 179. Steve Waugh also made 59, helping the home side to a final total of 391.
In their reply, Nasser Hussain made an undefeated 89 and Mark Ramprakash 61, but they lacked support as England were all out for 227. Stuart MacGill took 4-53.
Michael Slater then made 103 in Australia’s second innings. With Langer and Mark Waugh also scoring fifties, they were able to declare on 278/5.
That meant England needed 443 but, in the event, they were dismissed for 237, despite 63 unbeaten from captain Alec Stewart.
Australia had won by 205 runs.
England stemmed the tide with a narrow victory in the Boxing Day Test at the MCG in Melbourne.
Put into bat, they made 270, thanks in large part to a century from Stewart and 63 from Ramprakash.
Australia initially struggled in their reply, but Steve Waugh made an unbeaten 122, helping them to a total of 340.
England lost early wickets in the second innings, but 60 from Graeme Hick helped them post 244. Set 175, Australia’s batting, for once, failed them, and they were all out for 165, Dean Headley taking 6-60. England had won by 12 runs.
English hopes of squaring the series evaporated at the fifth Test, in Sydney.
Batting first, the Waugh brothers carried the home side, sharing a stand of 190 for the fourth wicket, before Steve was dismissed for 95. Meanwhile, Mark went on to make 121 out of 322.
MacGill then took 5-57 as England were bowled out for 220.
In their second innings, Slater scored 123, but Mark Waugh was the only other man to make double figures as Australia were all out for 184, Peter Such claiming 5-81 and Headley 4-40.
In turn, though, England were dismissed for 188, MacGill taking 7-50 to finish with match figures of 12-107. Australia won by 98 runs to take the series three matches to one.