Australian Men’s Cricket Team vs England Cricket Team Match: Australia will take on England in the fifth and final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday, January 4, 2025. The hosts lead the series 3-1 and have already retained the Ashes. England comes into the match after a four-wicket win in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne, their first victory in Australia in 14 years. The tourists aim to reduce the series margin while Australia looks to seal a 4-1 series win. Australia will be led by Steve Smith, with fast bowler Pat Cummins rested to manage his workload. All eyes will be on Usman Khawaja, who will play his last Test for Australia. Khawaja, who announced his retirement ahead of the match, has scored 6,206 runs in 87 Tests.
England have included Shoaib Bashir and Matt Potts in their playing XI. Gus Atkinson misses out due to a hamstring injury. Bashir, 22, made his Test debut against India in 2024 and has taken 68 wickets in 19 matches at an average of 39.00.
Squads
Australia squad: Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue
Weather ReportThe forecast predicts a maximum temperature of 33°C and a minimum of 20°C. There is a 65% chance of rain on the fourth day.
Pitch ReportThe SCG pitch is expected to favor batters in the first three days. It offers good pace, bounce, and carry, making strokeplay easier. Fast bowlers are likely to get some help by pitching in the right areas. Spinners are expected to play a bigger role on the last two days as the pitch dries and cracks appear. Uneven bounce may challenge the fourth-innings batters. Teams winning the toss are expected to bat first. A total of 350-360 runs in the first innings could be crucial.
Live Streaming and Telecast
Fans in India can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network. Live streaming is available on the JioHotstar app and website.