One last fight for England, one final walk for Khawaja

England's final practice session of the Ashes tour concluded around 3:15 PM on Saturday. Assistant coach Jeetan Patel gave throwdowns to Jacob Bethell, the last batter to finish. Captain Ben Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum, and director of cricket Robert Key—the trio behind England's revival—exited together, relaxed and smiling on the eve of the fifth and final Test.

With the Ashes already lost, England aims to salvage pride in Sydney. A 3-2 scoreline would look significantly better than 4-1, marking two wins in Australia for the first time in 15 years and suggesting a closer contest than reality. Meanwhile, Australia seeks World Test Championship points after their MCG setback, having considered the Ashes campaign over since going 3-0 up in Adelaide.

This Test is special for Usman Khawaja, who retires from international cricket at his original home ground, the SCG, nearly 15 years after his Ashes debut there.

Match Details:
Australia v England, 5th Ashes Test
January 4-8, 2026
Start: 10:30 AM Local Time (AEDT), 5:00 AM IST

What to Expect:
Steve Smith reminisced about traditional SCG pitches favoring spin, but the current surface has significant grass cover, despite the curator's insistence it's intentional. Rain is forecast for the first two days, but the pitch is expected to influence the game's pace more than weather.

Australia delayed their final team decision until Day One. Cameron Green is likely to play, potentially alongside Beau Webster if Todd Murphy is omitted. Jhye Richardson bowled alongside Mitch Starc in practice, possibly indicating selection over Michael Neser. Starc and Scott Boland, having played all four Tests, are unlikely to rest on this surface.

Australia Probable XI:
Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Beau Webster/Todd Murphy, Mitch Starc, Jhye Richardson/Michael Neser, Scott Boland

For England, the main selection question is whether Shoaib Bashir replaces Will Jacks as the specialist spinner. Bashir batted and bowled on the eve of the Test, while Jacks was absent from training. Matthew Potts makes his Ashes debut, replacing the injured Gus Atkinson.

England Probable XI:
Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks/Shoaib Bashir, Matthew Potts, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue