Summary

  • Fifth Test, day one, Sydney - England win toss and bat

  • Root and Brook both hit fifties in unbroken 154-run partnership before bad light and rain eventually lead to early close at 06:00 GMT, with England 211-3

  • Duckett, Crawley and Bethell fall in first 13 overs to leave tourists 57-3

  • Australia hold unassailable 3-1 series lead

  • Highlights available on iPlayer from 17:00 GMT

  • Day two will begin 30 minutes early at 23:00 GMT Sunday 4 January (10:00 local time, Monday 5 January)

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Live Reporting

by Elizabeth Botcherby & Timothy Abraham

  1. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Sydney

    By the way... don't get sucked into any chat about the Adelaide Oval being the best ground in Australia. It's the SCG.

  2. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Mitchell Starc has really elevated his game. He was always so lethal with that new ball and now has that wobble seam to the left-handers.

    He is top, top quality.

  3. Eng 15-0

    Better from Ben Duckett, who picks up three runs in the first half of the over either side of a sensible piece of defending.

    The second half of the over... well, there's a hearty appeal for lbw from Australia's slip cordon against Zak Crawley and England's batters, after a bit of umming and ahing, scamper through for a dicey single. Duckett had to be on his toes there.

  4. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Sydney

    I asked Andy Zaltzman to check on the number of players used in Ashes-winning series. Beau Webster is the 16th Aussie to appear in this series - the most they have used to win the urn since 1998-99.

    Will Jacks plays his fourth Test of the series. After England's plan to hit Australia with pace, Jacks has played as many Tests as Mark Wood and Jofra Archer combined.

  5. Eng 11-0

    Zak Crawley edges the ball just wide of Beau Webster at third slip. More oohs, but it's a boundary.

    A leg-bye and a single to finish the over.

  6. Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

    Ben Duckett will be desperate to get some runs here and get his team off to a good start.

    That was a ripper from Mitchell Starc, he has started well.

  7. Eng 5-0

    Zak Crawley darts through for a single to offer Mitchell Starc an early look at the out of form Ben Duckett.

    And the England batter is immediately on the receiving end of a chorus of "oohs" from the SCG crowd as Starc gets a full delivery to whistle past his outside edge. Excellent bowling.

    There's a theatrical leave off the penultimate delivery before Duckett gets off the mark with a boundary, timing one nicely behind square.

    Michael Neser will share the new ball.

  8. Eng 0-0

    First ball - check.

    Zak Crawley leaves it well alone.

  9. Righty ho, it's time for the final Ashes Test of 2025-26.

    Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett - who has a high score of 34 in this series - are out in the middle for England.

    Mitchell Starc, 26 wickets and counting, is raring to go for Australia.

  10. Glenn McGrath
    Ex-Australia bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    Steve Smith said he thought the pitch was a bit soft. It will be a bit slow, a bit tennis-ball like to begin with.

  11. How's stat?!

    Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    Both teams have opted to go into this Test without a full-time spinner, again.

    Across the four Tests in this Ashes series, only 14% of the overs have been bowled by a spinner across both teams. The last time, spinners bowled a lower proportion of overs in an Ashes series was 120 years back, in the 1905 Ashes in England.

  12. Get Involved

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    It’s the last Test of the Ashes and England’s last red-ball outing until a three-match home series against New Zealand in June.

    What have you made of England’s performances in Australia? Has anyone impressed you? What changes would you like to see come the English summer?

    Do get in touch to let us know your thoughts on the above, today’s action, or anything else using the form at the top of the page.

  13. Highlights on BBC iPlayer

    BBC iPlayer

    Shortly after the end of the day's play, Alex Hartley will present the TMS Ashes Debrief on BBC iPlayer alongside members of the TMS team and special guests.

    Full highlights of all of the action, plus reaction from the players and analysis from the TMS team, will be available from 5pm each day on BBC iPlayer.

  14. Weather watch

    Stormy conditions could disrupt day one at the SCG.

    Start preparing your best rain delay chatter for Tim and I to enjoy...

    Weather forecast for Sydney

  15. Listen live

    BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    The Test Match Special team are on hand with ball-by-ball coverage throughout the fifth Test.

    Click on the ‘listen live’ button at the top of this page or find Radio 5 Sports Extra on BBC Sounds.

  16. Glenn McGrath with the England teamGetty Images

    The players are making their way onto the field.

    Both sides have pink numbers on their shirts to support the McGrath Foundation - a cancer care charity set up by former Australia bowler Glenn McGrath in memory of his late wife.

    You can read more about the Pink Test here.

  17. The series so far...

    Travis Head fireworks, wickets galore for Mitchell Starc, a maiden Test century in Australia for Joe Root, and a couple of two-day Tests…

    Here’s a reminder of what’s happened in the series so far:

  18. Australia stand-in captain Steve Smith: "I would've batted. There's a little bit of moisture in the pitch so hopefully the new ball does a bit.

    "It might be a bit slow today but it looks like there might be some cracks underneath that open up later.

    "We've made one change - Beau Webster is in for Jhye Richardson. It's hard to leave Todd Murphy out but if we keep producing pitches you don't think are going to spin, you're backed into a corner and that's the way it's going to go."

  19. England captain Ben Stokes: "Really good conditions for batting here in Australia. Hopefully we can put a good score on the board.

    "The week we had in Melbourne was amazing. To get that win in Australia for the first time in a while was special. Hopefully we can continue that momentum in Sydney."

    On selecting Matthew Potts: "We felt getting that extra seamer in there was important for us. Pottsy is a competitor, he's been around the group for a long time now and it's great to see him get an opportunity on the big stage."

  20. One change for Australia in Khawaja's farewell outing

    Usman KhawajaGetty Images

    Australia have also opted against selecting a frontline spinner. Todd Murphy misses out, with Beau Webster coming in for Jhye Richardson the only change.

    Plus, it's a last hurrah on the international stage for Usman Khawaja, who announced his retirement before the fifth Test.

    Khawaja, who is playing in his 88th Test, is bowing out at a ground where he's tasted great success, scoring four of his 16 Test centuries at the SCG.