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by Elizabeth Botcherby & Timothy Abraham

  1. Eng 322-5

    Marnus Labuschagne meds are called upon.

    He's bowling short-ish looking for one of these England batters to do something daft.

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    What will we do when Joe Root retires?

    Jack, Bath

  3. Eng 318-5

    First two balls of Travis Head's latest over worked for singles by Joe Root and Jamie Smith before the former helps one dragged round the corner for four.

    Root was weighing up a reverse sweep but had sufficient time to readjust.

  4. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    This pitch is clearly not the easiest to get started on. You can see that with Ben Stokes' dismissal and also how well Joe Root and Harry Brook batted yesterday.

    Once you are in, it becomes a lot easier.

  5. Eng 310-5

    All valid questions, Stephan.

    Jamie Smith cloths one from Scott Boland with a swipe into the leg side but it plops into the turf.

  6. Stephan Shemilt
    BBC Sport chief cricket reporter in Sydney

    Beau Webster of AustraliaGetty Images

    Wasn't one of the reasons that Beau Webster is playing is he could also bowl off-spin? Why is Travis Head bowling tweakers before him? And if Webster was picked to bowl seam, why didn't they pick an actual seamer to do it?

  7. Eng 309-5

    Jamie Smith of EnglandGetty Images

    Joe Root and Jamie Smith content to go on the back foot and work Travis Head into the gaps. Three more to the total.

  8. Srinivas Vijaykumar
    CricViz analyst

    Jamie Smith's innings has been been extremely streaky with the number of times the ball has found the edge of his bat.

    In the first 50 balls of this innings, Smith edged 14 deliveries (28%). Since the start of 2006, when such records began, out of 10,249 instances only two other times have recognised batters found the edge more often compared to Smith in their first 50 deliveries of a Test innings: Soumya Sarkar (BAN) in 2017 v Australia & Zak Crawley in 2023 at The Oval, also against Australia.

  9. Eng 307-5

    Joe Root of England bats during day two of the Fifth Test in the 2025/26 Ashes Series between Australia and England at Sydney Cricket GroundGetty Images

    Some spin. Travis Head gets an over or two before lunch.

    Joe Root nudges the second ball from Head through point to get off strike.

  10. Eng 306-5

    Scott Boland with a burst before lunch. Joe Root surgically clips it through mid-on for three before defending and leaving.

  11. Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on BBC Test Match Special

    I am happy now that Jamie Smith is settling into his innings. I was worried he was going to throw his wicket away early on.

  12. Eng 303-5

    Jamie Smith has 41 off 62 balls as he sees off the remainder of Beau Webster's over without any alarm.

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    Phil Tufnell could pass "The Cat" nickname on to Jamie Smith. All these lives he's working through...long may it continue!

    Steve in Welwyn Garden City

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

    Australia are fielding very well here. You want England to be getting a move on before that new ball.

    A bit of a scuffy innings from Jamie Smith - he has never got in any rhythm.

  15. Eng 303-5

    This was the biggest let off of all for Jamie Smith, who has just drilled Beau Webster for four with an elegant whip through mid-wicket after a nice shimmy down the pitch.

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

    Jamie Smith has such talent and ball-striking ability. He just needs to hone it slightly.

    You feel that when he gets ticking, his shot selection goes out the window.

  17. Eng 299-5

    Jamie Smith skies a pull over the head of mid-on but it plugs safe. The England wicketkeeper has had more lives than Garfield the cat today.

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    What would be a good first innings total. Feel England will be all out for 400. Is that enough?

    Matt Simms

  19. Eng 295-5

    All-rounder Beau Webster, who does also bowl a bit of off-spin, is introduced into the attack.

    He sticks to seam-up for his first over today and he's fairly tight - conceding just a single - albeit relatively unthreatening.

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

    England have kept the scoreboard ticking over. They have not let Australia build up any pressure at all.

    Some of the fields set have allowed them to get singles as well.