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)

Send us your views

Live Reporting

by Elizabeth Botcherby & Timothy Abraham

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

    : Cameron Green of Australia reacts as Harry BrookGetty Images

    It is hard work bowling out there and sometimes you have to let the batter get himself out.

    Harry Brook likes to dance down the pitch so your back-up ball would be a bouncer to him.

  2. Eng 194-3

    A bit more of a calm, and measured, over from Harry Brook and Joe Root to Scott Boland as menacing clouds come into view at the SCG.

  3. Simon Mann
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    Cameron Green against Harry Brook feels like the danger match-up.

  4. 6 runs

    Eng 191-3

    Harry Brook manages to find the meat of the bat this time, whipping Cameron Green into the stands over fine leg for six!

    Brook has not needed much persuasion to take on the bouncer.

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

    It feels like something is brewing out there - there are dark clouds coming. And it won't just be a 10 minute shower.

  6. Eng 183-3

    What's the wave-height map looking like on SurfViz, Ed?

    By the way, I'll wire you some Peruvian Sols if you can name me the former England captain born in Peru.

    Harry Brook and Joe Root pick up singles with unconvincing cuts and hooks.

  7. Get Involved

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

    Listening in Peru after 2 hours surfing in the Pacific. Statistically only 3-8% of time in water is actually spent surfing, even less than England’s percentage of Test wins in Australia - yet both disproportionally enjoyable.

    Ed in Cerro Azul

  8. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Sydney

    There's a honking grey cloud coming from the direction of the airport.

    Rain was forecast for about 3pm local time - half an hour or so from now.

  9. Eng 181-3

    Alex Carey now up to the stumps to Scott Boland in an attempt to curtail Harry Brook using his feet.

    Australia looking to contain and wait for batter error, but not much doing at the moment as the travelling England fans pipe up again.

  10. How's stat?!

    Andy Zaltzman
    Test Match Special statistician

    This is now the highest partnership of the series for England.

    122* - Brook & Root, Sydney

    117 - Crawley & Root, Brisbane

    106 - Archer & Stokes, Adelaide

    96 - Jacks & Stokes, Brisbane

    91 - Jacks & Smith, Adelaide

  11. Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    A wagonwheel graphic showing how many runs Joe Root has scored in different areas of the pitchCricViz

    Joe Root has looked at his classical best in this innings. He scored 34 of his first 50 runs through the covers and point region, 68% of his runs through the zones with his cut shots and drives.

    Of the 107 times Root has gone past the 50-run mark in his Test career, this is the highest proportion of runs he's scored through the offside 'V' in his first fifty runs.

  12. Eng 173-3

    Australia have fielders stationed in the deep on the leg side as Cameron Green is thrown the ball by Steve Smith.

    A gasp from the crowd off the penultimate ball of the over when Root bottom edges a pull shot.

    Root finishes the over with a controlled hook for four.

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

    Australia have not bowled as well on this pitch as they could have done. They have been a little bit full and too short.

    It's not been as consistent as what you would like.

  14. Eng 173-3

    Scott Boland returns to the attack.

    More milking of the singles after drinks by Joe Root and Harry Brook, who are keeping the scoreboard ticking along nicely at the SCG.

  15. Get Involved

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

    Ian in Leeds (@01.47)... batters are judged on Ashes performances. No doubt Ben Duckett will score a shed load of runs in an English summer, but he can't bat for toffee in Oz. Zak Crawley is just as bad. The Ashes are the pinnacle and that's how every player is judged.

    Andy V, Kettering

  16. England have not lost a wicket in the afternoon session. Their top three all departed in the morning.

  17. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Harry Brook of EnglandGetty Images

    Harry Brook is a wonderful talent but sometimes he is short of a brain cell or two!

    Any bowler, he feels he can score quickly against them.

  18. Get Involved

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

    Harry Brook is probably the difference why England have lost the Ashes. If he could show patience he would've had a century under his belt.

    Brian in Perth

  19. England 170-3 at drinks

    Sense and sensibility from Joe Root and Harry Brook.

    Five singles rotated off the final over - bowled by Beau Webster - before drinks.

  20. Get Involved

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

    Mike from Grantham (@2:52) is tempting fate. Please don’t. He’s close enough to Yorkshire to know better than that. Shhhhhh!

    Thomas, LA

    Brook didn't half get lucky there, I was fully expecting to hear someone say that he'd been caught out.

    Katharine, Cambridge

    Anyone else think Harry Brook needs to put the pull shot back in the locker? He just doesn’t seem to me to be getting in a good position to play it.

    Chris B