Australia completed a tense chase to win the fifth Ashes Test and seal the series. They reached the target of 160 runs before tea on the final day. Australia won by five wickets and took the series 4 to 1.
England fought hard with the ball. Josh Tongue led the attack and took three wickets for 42 runs. Still, Alex Carey finished the job with a cover drive for four. He stayed with Cameron Green to guide Australia home.
England can take pride in the fight they showed. They pushed the game deep and avoided a heavy defeat at the Sydney ground. But without injured captain Ben Stokes, defending the total was always tough on a good pitch.
Australia made a steady start. The openers cut the target to under 100. Then Travis Head fell for 29, caught off Tongue. Head had earlier scored a century in the first innings. Jake Weatherald followed soon after for 34. By lunch, Australia still needed 89 runs.
After lunch, Steve Smith was bowled for 12 by Will Jacks. That brought Usman Khawaja to the crease. England gave him a warm welcome, but Tongue removed him for six. Marnus Labuschagne had earlier been dropped on 20. He could not make it count and ran himself out for 37 with 39 runs still needed.
Carey and Green then took control. There was one brief mix up, but both survived. They stayed calm and completed the chase.
Earlier, England resumed the day on 302 for eight. Mitchell Starc struck quickly and dismissed Jacob Bethell for 154. It was Bethell’s first Test hundred and the key reason England made Australia bat again.
Starc later removed Tongue to end the innings on 342. He finished with three wickets in the match and 31 wickets in the series. Australia closed the series with a clear win. England leave with lessons learned and signs of hope for the future.
