Australia vs England fifth Test day 1 cricket scores, results, start time, wickets, teams, how to watch, Sydney Test, SCG

The fate of the Ashes was decided two weeks ago when Australia took a 3-0 lead in Adelaide to draw the series to retain the title. The scoreline suggested a gulf between the sides, but that was far from the case: a decline in catches and a failure to adjust their strategy cost England dearly.

The Fourth Test favored the better team, but conditions were such that drawing a line of form from a two-day affair was akin to picking the Eurovision winner of whoever had the best drum solo.

This brings us to the fifth and final Test in Sydney, where the decider is rarely played. In baseball’s best-of-seven World Series, once a team completes the series, the remaining games are canceled, tickets are thrown away and television rights are ignored. The 2025 Los Angeles-Toronto series is deep into game seven: the equivalent of the SCG Test, continuing until the twilight end of day five.

The glory of the Ashes in particular, and Test cricket in general, is that it doesn’t need overtime to be meaningful. Each Test has its own identity, its own narrative that makes it unique and therefore its special place in history. Runs, wickets, blows etc. It has the same value in a player’s career and the same value in the hearts and minds of fans as the achievements of “live” Tests.

Read Geoff Lawson’s full article here.