Australia defeated England by five wickets in the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney, securing a 4-1 series victory. The match concluded on the final day as Australia successfully chased a target of 160 runs.
Series Overview
Australia secured the Ashes series with a 4-1 victory. England's tour was characterized by lower run totals, inconsistent catching, and less precise bowling performances. Australia's campaign demonstrated consistent performance throughout the series. England's sole victory was a two-day match in Melbourne, during a tour where the Ashes were lost in 11 days, matching a historical record for speed.
Fifth Test Summary
Day One
England won the toss and elected to bat. Ben Duckett was dismissed by Mitchell Starc, Zak Crawley by Michael Neser, and Jacob Bethell by Alex Carey, leaving England at 3-57. Joe Root and Harry Brook formed a century partnership. Play was halted due to bad light and rain, with England finishing the day on 3-211 after 45 overs.
Day Two
Harry Brook was caught by Steve Smith for 84 off Scott Boland. Ben Stokes was dismissed for a duck after a review. Joe Root reached his 41st Test century, equaling Ricky Ponting's record, and continued to 150 runs. Cameron Green bowled a no-ball that cost Australia Jamie Smith's wicket. Michael Neser dismissed Will Jacks and Brydon Carse before catching and bowling Root for 160. Neser then clean-bowled Josh Tongue, ending England's first innings at 384. Australia's openers began their innings, with Travis Head scoring quickly, reaching 50. Jake Weatherald was dismissed LBW. Marnus Labuschagne was dismissed by Ben Stokes. Michael Neser, as nightwatchman, survived until the end of the day, with Head on 91*.
Day Three
Travis Head reached his century early and continued to score rapidly. He was eventually dismissed LBW by Jacob Bethell for 163, a decision upheld after review. Michael Neser was caught behind after facing 90 balls. Usman Khawaja, playing his final Test match innings, was trapped LBW by Brydon Carse for 17. Alex Carey was dismissed. Cameron Green scored 37. Steve Smith reached his century, becoming the second-highest Australian run-scorer in Ashes history. At stumps, Smith was 129 not out, and Beau Webster was 42 not out, with Australia leading by 134 runs.
Day Four
Australia's innings concluded within an hour, with Smith, Starc, and Boland dismissed. Australia led by 183 runs, with Webster unbeaten on 71. In England's second innings, Mitchell Starc dismissed Zak Crawley LBW in the opening over. Green dropped a catch off Duckett. Ben Duckett was later dismissed for 42. Jacob Bethell achieved his maiden Ashes half-century and later his maiden first-class century. Joe Root was dismissed LBW by Scott Boland for six runs. Harry Brook was dismissed LBW, followed by Will Jacks being caught. Steve Smith was run out by Marnus Labuschagne following a mix-up. Ben Stokes was dismissed for one. England finished the day eight wickets down, holding a lead of 119 runs.
Day Five
Australia, led onto the field by Usman Khawaja, quickly took the new ball. England had added 40 runs to their overnight score of 302 for eight. Jacob Bethell was caught behind off Mitchell Starc for 154, receiving a standing ovation from the Sydney crowd. Starc recorded his 30th wicket of the series by dismissing Bethell, and then dismissed Josh Tongue, concluding England's innings and setting Australia a target of 160 runs.
Australia's Run Chase
Travis Head and Jake Weatherald started Australia's chase. Head was caught by Brydon Carse for 29. Weatherald was dismissed by Josh Tongue for 34. Will Jacks clean-bowled Steve Smith for 12 runs with a delivery that pitched in the rough and turned. Usman Khawaja received a guard of honour from the England team before being bowled by Josh Tongue for six runs, marking his final Test career dismissal. Khawaja, who had played 88 Tests over 15 years, had debuted at the same venue against the same opponent in 2011. Marnus Labuschagne was run out by Matthew Potts for 37 following a miscommunication with non-striker Alex Carey. Alex Carey and Cameron Green then stabilized the innings. Alex Carey scored the winning runs, sealing Australia's five-wicket victory. The match concluded at 2:30 PM, with total match attendance at the SCG exceeding 200,000 for the first time.
Individual Player Performances
- Mitchell Starc: Secured 31 wickets in the five-Test series at an average of 19 runs per wicket, with a strike-rate of 29.6, a record for an Ashes series. He became the first Australian fast bowler to take more than 30 wickets in an Ashes series since Mitchell Johnson in 2013-14. Starc was named Player of the Series.
- Travis Head: Concluded the series with 629 runs at an average of 69.2.
- Usman Khawaja: Participated in his final Test match after a 15-year career. He received a guard of honour from England players and an ovation from the SCG crowd.
- Jacob Bethell: Scored 154 runs in the fifth Test, which included his maiden Ashes half-century and maiden first-class century.
- Steve Smith: Reached his century in Australia's first innings, becoming the second-highest Australian run-scorer in Ashes history.
- Joe Root: Reached his 41st Test century in England's first innings, equaling Ricky Ponting's record, and scored 160 runs.
- Alex Carey: Contributed with both wicketkeeping and batting, scoring the winning runs in the final Test.
- Other Key Performers: Scott Boland, Beau Webster, and Michael Neser were identified as key performers for Australia.
Decision Review System (DRS) Incidents
During Australia's run chase, the Decision Review System (DRS) was utilized multiple times:
- England lost a review on an LBW appeal against Travis Head, with replays indicating an outside edge.
- An appeal for caught behind against Jake Weatherald off Brydon Carse was not given out on-field. Third umpire Kumar Dharmasena subsequently declined the review due to insufficient evidence, despite indications of a slight murmur on "snicko." This decision was noted in the context of previous similar rulings during the series.
- These decisions led to discussions between players and umpires.