🔗 Share this article Australia v England: Fifth Ashes Test, The Third Day Gets Underway The cricketers are preparing to step onto the pitch for an lengthy first session scheduled to run for two and a half hours. If Travis Head is batting at lunch, Australia will be strapped into the commanding position. A Pink Outpouring of Support The SCG is observing Jane McGrath Day today, with spectators adorned in pink in support of the McGrath Foundation. The day honors the charity's dedication to offering support for cancer patients. A supporter clad entirely in pink makes their way into the Sydney Cricket Ground. A Heated Exchange Mars the Evening It was hard to know whether it was a signal sent to the Australians or his own bowlers. England's captain concluded a annoying day's end in Sydney by swapping words out in the middle with Marnus Labuschagne. Appearing to respond to a comment by Labuschagne, Stokes was audibly telling “shut the fuck up” as the over concluded. He then walked over and put an arm around his opponent’s shoulder to continue the exchange. With the officials intervening, the England skipper departed after giving Labuschagne a squeeze. As per the ICC code of conduct, the England captain could be reprimanded for “inappropriate physical contact”. Questions Over Australia's Bowling Tactics Shane Warne's biography title 'No Spin' was not an endorsement of the tactic. It's presumptuous to speak for the deceased, but his lifelong stance was unequivocal in backing his guild. Teams should always give themselves the option of spin bowling was his frequent argument. 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 said on radio. Australia didn’t have it. Instead, they had a trio of pace specialists, a couple of curiously employed all-rounders and some token part-time bowling. They had an England innings that was allowed to pull away, with significant stands while Joe Root went on to his top score in Australia of 160 and England their highest score of the series, 384. It would have been helpful to turn to specialist spin when Root and Harry Brook were settling in. It would have been helpful to save Mitchell Starc from bowling a fourth spell. Preamble: A Session of Significance Greetings and welcome to our updates of the third day's play in Sydney. A crucial morning session awaits, yet one cannot ignore the series finale atmosphere that has characterized this Test so far. We’re used to anticlimactic final Tests, particularly when England play in Australia. This feels flatter than the rest, largely due to the pre-series hype. Two dead rubbers? It defies our predictions ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes. There isn’t even the jeopardy of a potential whitewash; the series will end either 4-1 or 3-2 to Australia. At this moment, a 4-1 scoreline appears probable. An underwhelming display with the ball from England allowed Australia to charge to 166 for two, trailing by 218 runs, in only 34.1 overs. Travis Head is 91 not out from 87 balls; Michael Neser, who came in as nightwatchman has scored a single from fifteen deliveries. Neser received a painful blow to the elbow near the end of play, 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. Regarding this specific game, the morning's play is vital. It’s just that the match isn’t as big as we hoped.