🔗 Share this article Australia v The Three Lions: Fifth Ashes Test, Day Three Gets Underway The cricketers are preparing to step onto the pitch for an lengthy 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 everybody wearing pink in solidarity with the McGrath Foundation. The day honors the charity's dedication to providing cancer support. 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 message to Australia 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. Seemingly reacting to something said by Labuschagne, Stokes was audibly telling “shut the fuck up” at the end of the over. He subsequently approached and put an arm around his opponent’s shoulder to prolong the conversation. With the officials intervening, Stokes walked away following a brief pat. Under ICC regulations, Stokes potentially faces sanction for “inappropriate physical contact”. Questions Over Australia's Bowling Tactics When Shane Warne called his biography No Spin, it wasn’t a recommendation. Speaking for the dead is unacceptably presumptuous, but his lifelong stance was unequivocal in backing his guild. Sides should always retain a spin bowling option was his frequent argument. Nor is allegiance of style the only factor. Former pace colleague Jason Gillespie echoed the sentiment watching the fifth Ashes Test. “You need that variety,” he stated during commentary. Australia didn’t have it. Instead, they had three specialist fast bowlers, a couple of curiously employed all-rounders and a sprinkle of part-time guff. They permitted England's batting to accelerate, with significant stands while Joe Root compiled his highest 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 might have eased the burden to save Mitchell Starc from bowling a fourth spell. Setting the Scene for Day Three Greetings and welcome to our updates of the third day's play in Sydney. There’s a big first session coming, yet one cannot ignore the end-of-term feeling that has characterized this Test so far. Final Ashes Tests often prove anticlimactic, especially on Australian soil. This feels flatter than the rest, largely due to the pre-series hype. Two inconsequential matches? It’s not what we thought ahead of the 2025-26 Ashes. The stakes are further reduced of a possible series sweep; the outcome will be either 4-1 or 3-2 to Australia. Right here, right now, a 4-1 scoreline appears probable. A poor bowling performance 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; 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 on the capricious side. 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.