Australian gamers rejoice with the Waterford Crystal Ashes Trophy on the finish of the fifth Ashes Check between Australia and England at Sydney Cricket Floor on January 8, 2026. — AFPAustralia chase down 160-run goal on ultimate day earlier than tea.England kind cordon to welcome Khawaja to crease in final match.Take credit score for making sport of it, not being floor into Sydney filth.
SYDNEY: Australia had a number of nervous moments however safely chased down their 160-run victory goal earlier than tea on the ultimate day of the fifth Ashes Check on Thursday for a five-wicket victory and a 4-1 sequence triumph.
Seamer Josh Tongue led England’s battling rearguard with 3-42 however Alex Carey acquired Australia throughout the road with a 4 via the covers in mid afternoon within the firm of Cameron Inexperienced.
England will take credit score for making a sport of it and never being floor into the Sydney filth as earlier vacationers have in end-of-series lifeless rubbers on the well-known outdated floor.
With out the bowling of injured captain Ben Stokes, nevertheless, defending 160 was at all times going to be an uphill problem on an excellent wicket which allowed the second day-five motion of the sequence.
Stokes exhorted his gamers from the slips however Australia’s openers acquired the goal underneath 100 runs earlier than Travis Head, whose third century of the sequence underpinned his workforce’s first-innings 567, ballooned a shot to midwicket off Tongue for 29.
Jake Weatherald adopted for 34, once more caught off Tongue’s bowling, to convey up lunch with Australia 89 runs from their objective.
It was 15 years and a day since England received the ultimate Check of the 2010-11 sequence on the similar floor by an innings and 83 runs — the final time they received an Ashes sequence Down Below.
The England gamers fashioned a cordon to welcome Khawaja to the crease however Tongue’s bowling was much less pleasant and the lefthander performed on for six after going through seven balls.
Australia’s Cameron Inexperienced (proper) and teammate Alex Carey rejoice after hitting the successful runs on day 5 of the fifth Ashes cricket Check match between Australia and England on the SCG in Sydney on January 8, 2026. — AFP
Labuschagne had been dropped on 20 off Tongue when Bethell failed to carry onto the ball regardless of an acrobatic leap at backward level.
He was unable to profit from his reprieve, nevertheless, operating himself out for 37 with 39 runs nonetheless required for victory.
Carey, who made 16 not out, and Inexperienced, who completed unbeaten on 22, practically reprised Labuschagne’s exit with a basic mix-up after an overthrow however ultimately made their floor to safe the victory.
Earlier, England resumed on 302-8 however Mitchell Starc struck a serious blow to their hopes of setting Australia a testing goal when he had Bethell caught behind for 154.
Bethell’s excellent maiden Check century supplied loads of promise for the long run and was primarily the distinction between an innings defeat for England and Australia batting once more.
Starc returned to take away Tongue for six to finish the innings on 342, the left-arm fast ending with figures of 3-72 and a complete of 31 wickets over the sequence.
