Australia v The Three Lions: Final Ashes Test, The Third Day Gets Underway

The cricketers are preparing to step onto the pitch for an extended first session that will last two and a half hours. If Travis Head is batting at lunch, Australia will be strapped into the box seat.

A Pink Outpouring of Support

It’s Jane McGrath Day at the SCG, with spectators adorned in pink in solidarity with the McGrath Foundation. The day honors the foundation's commitment to providing cancer support.

A fan dressed in all pink arrives at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

A Heated Exchange Mars the Evening

It was hard to know whether it was a message to Australia or his own bowlers. England's captain concluded a frustrating second evening in Sydney by exchanging remarks out in the middle with Marnus Labuschagne. Seemingly reacting to something said by Labuschagne, Stokes was heard saying “shut the fuck up” as the over concluded. He subsequently approached and put an arm around his opponent’s shoulder to prolong the conversation.

With the officials intervening, Stokes walked away after giving Labuschagne a squeeze. Under ICC regulations, the England captain could be reprimanded for making improper physical contact.

Questions Over Australia's Bowling Tactics

Shane Warne's biography title 'No Spin' was not an endorsement of the tactic. Speaking for the dead is unacceptably presumptuous, but his lifelong stance was unequivocal in supporting fellow spinners. Teams should always give themselves the option of spin bowling was his common contention.

Nor is allegiance of style the only factor. His old teammate Jason Gillespie echoed the sentiment observing the Sydney Test. “You need that variety,” he stated during commentary.

Australia didn’t have it. Their attack featured three specialist fast bowlers, two all-rounders used in puzzling roles and a sprinkle of part-time guff. They permitted England's batting to accelerate, with significant stands while Joe Root went on to his top score in Australia of 160 and England their best total in the Ashes, 384.

It would have been helpful to turn to specialist spin when Root and Harry Brook were settling in. It might have eased the burden to prevent Mitchell Starc from a taxing fourth spell.

Setting the Scene for Day Three

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the third day's play in Sydney. A crucial morning session awaits, yet one cannot ignore the series finale atmosphere that has pervaded this Test so far.

Final Ashes Tests often prove anticlimactic, especially on Australian soil. This one seems particularly subdued, mainly because there was such expectation. Two dead rubbers? It defies our predictions ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes.

There isn’t even the jeopardy of a potential whitewash; the outcome will be either 4-1 or 3-2 to Australia. Right here, right now, a 4-1 scoreline appears probable. An underwhelming display with the ball from England let Australia race to 166 for two, a deficit of 218, in only 34.1 overs. Travis Head is unbeaten on 91 from 87 balls; the nightwatchman Michael Neser has 1 from 15.

Neser received a painful blow to the elbow just before the close, a reminder that this pitch – though generally batsman-friendly – is somewhat unpredictable. Should England's bowlers, namely Matthew Potts, discover the right length this morning they could reignite the contest.

In the context of the match, the morning's play is vital. It’s just that the match isn’t as big as we hoped.