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Australia has ended the 2017-18 Ashes series in dominant fashion, pummeling the Poms by a innings and 123 runs at the SCG.
» Click here to read the full match report
» Five talking points from the match
» The Liebke Ratings: Fifth Test
Final score
England 346
Australia 7/649d
England 180
England will search for a draw and try to replicate the heroics of Steve Smith and Australia during the final day of the Ashes series in Sydney. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage of Day 5 from 10:30am (AEDT).
After winning the first three Tests of the series, Australia found themselves in a similar position in Melbourne to what England are in now.
They had to bat for more than a day and half to save the Test and did exactly that, with Steve Smith grinding out a century, and support coming from David Warner and Mitchell Marsh.
While similarities can be drawn, the situations are unarguably different. Firstly, the series is already gone for England and they can gain nothing by batting for 90 overs today.
Secondly, they were left to bake in the field yesterday. As temperatures soared above 40 degrees in Sydney (and over 50 in the middle of the SCG), England fielded for the first half of the day.
That followed half of Day 2 and all of Day 3 in the field, amounting to 193 overs of bowling as Australia racked up a ridiculous 7 for 649 declared, led by centuries to Usman Khawaja and the Marsh brothers.
It gave them a lead of 303 after England folded like a house of cards in their first innings, with Australia fresh to bowl yesterday afternoon.
They quickly had four wickets to their name, before being held up by Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow. The captain and wicketkeeper are not out overnight, but it looked like Australia were going to end the match yesterday at one point.
Root has been hospitalised this morning though with severe dehydration and it’s unclear if he will be able to resume his innings.
With the pitch starting to take turn for Nathan Lyon, who bowled expertly yesterday taking 2 for 31 from 19 overs and balls from the quicks keeping low, it’s going to be a tough ask for England to survive 90 overs.
Should Root bat, once he and Bairstow are removed, there has been very little resistance from England this series. Their tail has been feeble and Moeen Ali woeful with both bat and bowl.
Maybe of more concern to England though will be the health of Joe Root. Their skipper was struck on the hand by a Mitchell Starc shorter ball yesterday and needed treatment from a physio, not looking comfortable again for the rest of the afternoon.
The other thing Australia will take into account is that there is an extremely small chance of rain – it’s small, but the way Sydney Tests tend to get affected by weather, Smith and his team will be keen to wrap things up quick smart.
Prediction
With only six wickets to get, it’s hard to see Australia not getting them at some point today. England’s tail has been fragile, and getting the first could bring about six very quick ones.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Day 5 from 10:30am (AEDT) and don’t forget to drop a comment in the section below.