🔗 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 firmly in the driving seat. A Pink Outpouring of Support It’s Jane McGrath Day at the SCG, with spectators adorned in pink in support of the McGrath Foundation. The occasion commemorates the foundation's commitment to providing cancer support. A supporter clad entirely in pink makes their way into the Sydney Cricket Ground. On-Field Tensions Bubble Over 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 exchanging remarks out in the middle with Marnus Labuschagne. Appearing to respond to a comment by Labuschagne, Stokes was audibly telling “shut the fuck up” at the end of the over. He subsequently approached and placed a hand on the batsman's shoulder to continue the exchange. As the umpires moved in, the England skipper departed following a brief pat. As per the ICC code of conduct, Stokes potentially faces sanction for “inappropriate physical contact”. The Spin Debate Ignites Anew 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. Sides should always retain a spin bowling option was his common contention. Nor is allegiance of style the only factor. His old teammate Jason Gillespie had the same view watching the fifth Ashes Test. “You need that variety,” he stated during commentary. Australia didn’t have it. Their attack featured a trio of pace specialists, two all-rounders used in puzzling roles and a sprinkle of part-time guff. They had an England innings that was allowed to pull away, with significant stands while Joe Root compiled his highest score in Australia of 160 and England their highest score of the series, 384. It could have been advantageous to introduce a specialist spinner when Root and Harry Brook were coasting. It would have been helpful to prevent Mitchell Starc from a taxing 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, but it’s impossible to escape the end-of-term feeling that has pervaded this Test so far. Final Ashes Tests often prove anticlimactic, especially on Australian soil. This feels flatter than the rest, mainly because there was such expectation. Two dead rubbers? It’s not what we thought when we were imagining the 2025-26 Ashes. The stakes are further reduced of a potential whitewash; the outcome will be either 4-1 or 3-2 to Australia. Right here, right now, 4-1 looks more likely. 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 unbeaten on 91 from 87 balls; the nightwatchman Michael Neser has scored a single from fifteen deliveries. Neser was struck nastily on the elbow just before the close, highlighting that the surface – 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, this is a big first session. It's simply that the fixture lacks the significance we anticipated.