🔗 Share this article

The players are about to take the field for an lengthy first session scheduled to run for two and a half hours. If Travis Head is batting at lunch, Australia will be firmly in the box seat.

A Sea of Pink for a Cause

It’s Jane McGrath Day at the SCG, with everybody wearing pink in support of the McGrath Foundation. The occasion commemorates the foundation's commitment to offering support for cancer patients.

A supporter clad entirely in pink makes their way into the Sydney Cricket Ground.

On-Field Tensions Bubble Over

The intent was unclear whether it was a message to Australia or his own bowlers. England's captain concluded a frustrating second evening in Sydney by exchanging remarks out in the middle with Marnus Labuschagne. Seemingly reacting to something said by Labuschagne, Stokes was heard saying “shut the fuck up” as the over concluded. He then walked over and placed a hand on the batsman's shoulder to prolong the conversation.

As the umpires moved in, Stokes walked away after giving Labuschagne a squeeze. Under ICC regulations, the England captain could be reprimanded for “inappropriate physical contact”.

Questions Over Australia's Bowling Tactics

When Shane Warne called his biography No Spin, it wasn’t a recommendation. Speaking for the dead is unacceptably presumptuous, but his lifelong stance was unequivocal in supporting fellow spinners. Sides should always retain a spin bowling option was his frequent argument.

Loyalty to a bowling type isn't the sole consideration. Former pace colleague Jason Gillespie echoed the sentiment watching the fifth Ashes Test. “You need that variety,” he stated during commentary.

The hosts lacked that option. Their attack featured a trio of pace specialists, a couple of curiously employed all-rounders and some token part-time bowling. They permitted England's batting to accelerate, with significant stands while Joe Root compiled his highest score in Australia of 160 and England their highest score of the series, 384.

It could have been advantageous to turn to specialist spin when Root and Harry Brook were settling in. It would have been helpful to prevent Mitchell Starc from a taxing fourth spell.

Preamble: A Session of Significance

Greetings and welcome to our updates of the third day's play in Sydney. A crucial morning session awaits, but it’s impossible to escape the end-of-term feeling that has characterized this Test so far.

Final Ashes Tests often prove anticlimactic, particularly when England play in Australia. This one seems particularly subdued, mainly because there was such expectation. Two dead rubbers? It’s not what we thought when we were imagining the 2025-26 Ashes.

There isn’t even the jeopardy of a possible series sweep; the series will end either 4-1 or 3-2 to Australia. At this moment, a 4-1 scoreline appears probable. A poor bowling performance from England let Australia race to 166 for two, a deficit of 218, in only 34.1 overs. Travis Head is unbeaten on 91 from 87 balls; Michael Neser, who came in as nightwatchman has 1 from 15.

Neser received a painful blow to the elbow near the end of play, highlighting that the surface – though generally batsman-friendly – is on the capricious side. Should England's bowlers, namely Matthew Potts, discover the right length this morning they can force their way back into the game.

In the context of the match, this is a big first session. It’s just that the match isn’t as big as we hoped.