🔗 Share this article The Baggy Greens v England: Fifth Ashes Test, The Third Day Unfolds The players are about to take the field 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 charity's dedication to offering support for cancer patients. A fan dressed in all pink arrives at the Sydney Cricket Ground. A Heated Exchange Mars the Evening The intent was unclear 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. As the umpires moved in, Stokes walked away following a brief pat. As per the ICC code of conduct, 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. It's presumptuous to speak for the deceased, but his record in life was loud and clear in supporting fellow spinners. 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 had the same view observing the Sydney Test. “You need that variety,” he said on radio. The hosts lacked that option. Instead, they had a trio of pace specialists, a couple of curiously employed all-rounders and some token part-time bowling. They permitted England's batting to accelerate, with substantial partnerships while Joe Root went on to his highest score in Australia of 160 and England their best total in the Ashes, 384. It would have been helpful to introduce a specialist spinner when Root and Harry Brook were coasting. 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 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, largely due to the pre-series hype. Two dead rubbers? It defies our predictions when we were imagining 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; the nightwatchman Michael Neser has scored a single from fifteen deliveries. Neser received a painful blow to the elbow just before the close, highlighting that the surface – though largely good for batting – is on the capricious side. Should England's bowlers, namely Matthew Potts, discover the right length this morning they can force their way back into the game. Regarding this specific game, this is a big first session. It’s just that the match isn’t as big as we hoped.