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Australia stumble to a five-wicket triumph successful the last Test, bidding farewell to their archetypal Muslim cricketer Usman Khawaja.
Published On 8 Jan 2026
Australia had a fewer tense moments but safely chased down their 160-run triumph people earlier beverage connected the last time of the 5th Ashes Test lucifer against England, earning a five-wicket triumph and a 4-1 bid triumph.
Seamer Josh Tongue led England’s battling rearguard with 3-42 but Alex Carey got Australia crossed the enactment with a 4 done the covers successful the institution of Cameron Green connected Thursday.
“We’ve played truthful good arsenic a team,” said Steve Smith, who was lasting successful for Pat Cummins arsenic Australia skipper for the 4th clip successful the series.
“We’ve had immoderate unthinkable idiosyncratic performances but … everyone other conscionable stood up astatine antithetic moments. I deliberation that’s what makes a truly bully team. We won those big moments passim the series.”
England volition instrumentality recognition for making a crippled of it and not being crushed into the Sydney ungraded arsenic erstwhile tourists person successful end-of-series dormant rubbers at the celebrated aged ground.
Without the bowling of injured skipper Ben Stokes, however, defending 160 was ever going to beryllium an uphill situation connected a bully wicket.
Australia’s openers managed to get the people nether 100 runs earlier Man of the Match Travis Head, whose 3rd period of the bid underpinned his team’s first-innings 567, ballooned a changeable to midwicket disconnected Tongue for 29.
Jake Weatherald followed for 34, again caught disconnected Tongue’s bowling, to bring up luncheon with Australia 89 runs from their goal.
It was 15 years and a time since England won the last Test of the 2010-11 bid astatine the aforesaid crushed by an innings and 83 runs – the past clip they won an Ashes bid Down Under.
Alex Carey celebrates aft hitting the winning runs [David Gray/AFP]Emotional Khawaja bows out
Usman Khawaja made his debut successful that lucifer and got his accidental for 1 last innings earlier status erstwhile Smith was bowled done the gross by the rotation of Will Jacks for 12 soon aft lunch.
The England players formed a cordon to invited Khawaja to the crease but Tongue’s bowling was little affable and the left-hander played connected for six aft facing 7 balls.
His farewell did not spell arsenic planned but Khawaja said it was a memorable juncture aft a decorated 15-year vocation and much than 6,000 runs.
“I was trying to enactment cool, but the full Test lucifer I recovered it truly hard to power my emotions,” the 39-year-old admitted afterwards.
“It means a lot. The lone happening I wanted was a win,” helium said.
“Grateful for the 1 past last triumph and to observe with my teammates.
Upon his dismissal, the batter stopped astatine a “Thanks Uzzy” motion connected the crushed and bowed down successful supplication earlier returning to the pavilion.
Khawaja immigrated to Australia from Islamabad arsenic a child, battling the likelihood to go the country’s archetypal Pakistan-born and archetypal Muslim nationalist player.
At 1 point, helium was the lone Asian first-class subordinate successful Australia and is credited arsenic a relation exemplary who opened doors for others.
“Some radical person mislaid family, I americium fortunate my parents are inactive around. My family, my wife, my kids and different 1 connected the way,” helium said.
“I emotion the crippled of cricket but beingness extracurricular cricket has been much important.
“Few dicey runs determination with a small spot of pressure, but we got the occupation done successful the end.”
Usman Khawaja bows down onto the crushed arsenic helium walks disconnected pursuing his dismissal successful his last Test astatine the Sydney Cricket Ground [Saeed Khan/AFP]Starc gets the occupation done
England had resumed their batting connected 302-8 but Mitchell Starc struck a large stroke to their hopes of mounting Australia a investigating people erstwhile helium had Bethell caught down for 154.
Bethell’s superb maiden Test period offered plentifulness of committedness for the future and was fundamentally the quality betwixt an innings decision for England and Australia batting again.
Starc (3-72) returned to region Tongue for six to extremity the innings connected 342, the left-arm speedy aboriginal awarded Player of the Series honours for his tally of 31 wickets implicit the 5 Tests.
“The assemblage is inactive holding unneurotic and this is simply a large radical to beryllium a portion of,” the 35-year-old said. “I americium a small bushed but got the occupation done.”
In Sydney, Australia were again superior successful each department, arsenic they were erstwhile wins successful Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide and secured possession of the Ashes urn for different 18 months successful conscionable 11 days.
England won a lottery of a 4th Test successful Melbourne – their archetypal triumph successful Australia since Sydney successful 2011 – but the aboriginal of the “Bazball” benignant of play indispensable beryllium successful uncertainty aft a circuit that started with precocious hopes ended successful a 4-1 loss.
“We’ve not won the large bid that we privation to be winning,” said Stokes.
“When a inclination is happening connected a accordant ground … that’s erstwhile you bash request to spell backmost and look astatine the drafting committee and marque immoderate adjustments.”
England’s skipper Ben Stokes walks past the Ashes trophy during the presumption ceremonial [Saeed Khan/AFP]
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