The Ashes 2025-26: Steve Smith and Travis Head power England to defeat Sydney

Head finally missed a sweep at Jacob Bethell for lbw just after lunch, leaving Usman Khawaja at the crease for what could be his final innings in Test cricket. “Thank you, Uzzy,” the screens at the SCG read, in honor of the 39-year-old’s final Test before retirement.

Curiously, Stokes burned through the overs and gave the second new ball to Cars and Potts, but at least Cars trapped Khawaja lbw for 17.

After Alex Carey was caught at leg slip, Smith added 61 for the seventh wicket with Cameron Green.

It was Smith’s 37th Test, his 13th Ashes Test and first against England since the second Test at Lord’s in 2023. It was full of his trademark runs, thwarting the opposition and interspersed with brilliant runs through the covers. He hit Bethell’s left-arm catch twice for six in a row.

When he reached 84, he crossed Hobbs’s Ashes tally of 3636 to settle behind Bradman, then went to three figures with an oar off Bethell for three.

Green holed out to deep square leg to give Cars his third wicket of the day, yet Australia’s protracted batting order saw all-rounder Beau Webster reach nine to provide further support to Smith.

The eighth-wicket pair added 81 runs uninterrupted, with Webster not out for 42 overs. Potts was asked to bowl another useless spell from the bouncers, with a furious Smith playing tennis-style smashes and pointing wide at the umpires.

The ground emptied, Australia outnumbered 500 soldiers and the Barmy Army cheered with unlimited energy. Theirs was the most impressive performance of England’s era.