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Australia’s momentum from their early Ashes dominance was checked in the 4th Test, as England secured a four-wicket win at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to keep the series alive. While Australia still lead the Ashes 2025–26 series 3–1, England’s composed chase in Melbourne has added fresh intrigue heading into the final Test.
With attention now turning to the 5th Ashes Test in Sydney, betting markets have adjusted following the MCG result. Australia remain favourites on home conditions, but England’s latest win has tightened the odds, setting up a closely watched contest at the SCG.
Winning and Toss Odds For Australia vs England 5th Test Match
Since Australia is playing this series on their home grounds, betting platforms are offering higher returns on England’s win.
| Platform | Australia Win Odds | England Win Odds | Toss Odds (Australia) | Toss Odds (England) | 1st Innings Lead Odds (Australia) | 1st Innings Lead Odds (England) | 2nd Innings Lead Odds (Australia) | 2nd Innings Lead Odds (England) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1xBet | 1.35 | 2.78 | 1.90 | 1.90 | 1.60 | 2.35 | 1.58 | 2.40 |
| Stake | 1.45 | 2.65 | 1.88 | 1.88 | 1.58 | 2.30 | 1.55 | 2.38 |
| Betvibe | 1.47 | 2.69 | 1.89 | 1.89 | 1.62 | 2.28 | 1.59 | 2.35 |
| 4RABET | 1.5 | 2.45 | 1.87 | 1.87 | 1.57 | 2.25 | 1.54 | 2.32 |
AUS vs ENG 5th Test Match Facts
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | AUS vs ENG, 5th Test |
| Series | The Ashes, 2025–26 |
| Date | Sunday, January 4 |
| Time | 05:00 AM IST / 11:30 PM GMT / 10:30 AM Local |
| Venue | Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney |
| Match Start | January 04, 23:30 GMT |
Australia vs England, 4th Test Highlights
| Team | Innings | Score | Top Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1st Innings | 152 all out | Neser 35 |
| England | 1st Innings | 110 all out | Harry Brook 41 |
| Australia | 2nd Innings | 132 all out | Travis Head 46 |
| England | 2nd Innings | 178/6 | Jacob Bethell 40 |
- Result: England won by 4 wickets
- Player of the Match: Josh Tongue
- Series Status: Australia lead 3–1
England staged a strong comeback in the 4th Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, defeating Australia by four wickets to keep the series alive. After being bowled out cheaply in the first innings, England recovered well through disciplined bowling and a composed fourth-innings chase.
Australia were dismissed for 152 in their first innings, with Josh Tongue leading England’s attack with a five-wicket haul. England replied with 110, conceding a small lead, but Australia failed to capitalise fully. In the second innings, Travis Head top-scored with 46 as Australia were bowled out for 132, leaving England a target of 174.
England approached the chase with clarity. Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Jacob Bethell made important contributions as England reached 178 for 6, sealing the match with confidence.
England’s bowlers controlled key phases of the match, while their batters showed composure in the chase. Australia had moments of resistance but were unable to post decisive totals in either innings.
Australia vs England Ashes 3rd Test Highlights
| Team | Innings | Score | Overs | Key Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1st Innings | 371 all out | 91.2 | Alex Carey 106, Khawaja 82, Starc 54 |
| England | 1st Innings | 286 all out | 87.2 | Ben Stokes 83, Jofra Archer 51 |
| Australia | 2nd Innings | 349 all out | 84.4 | Travis Head 170, Alex Carey 72 |
| England | 2nd Innings | 352 all out | 102.5 | Zak Crawley 85, Jamie Smith 60 |
- Result: Australia won by 82 runs
- Player of the Match: Alex Carey
- Series Status: Australia lead 3–0
Australia sealed a hard-fought win in the 3rd Test at Adelaide Oval, defeating England by 82 runs to take a 3-0 lead in the Ashes 2025–26 series. The match was shaped by strong batting performances from Travis Head and Alex Carey, followed by disciplined bowling in the final innings.
After posting 371 in the first innings, Australia bowled England out for 286, gaining a crucial lead. Head’s magnificent 170 in the second innings pushed Australia to 349, setting England a challenging target of 435. England showed resistance on Day 4 but were eventually dismissed for 352, falling short despite a solid knock from Zak Crawley.
Carey’s calm century in the first innings and his valuable second-innings contribution proved decisive, earning him the Player of the Match award.
Australia vs England Ashes 2nd Test Highlights
| Team | Innings | Score | Overs | Key Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1st Innings | 334 all out | 76.2 ov | Joe Root 138, Zak Crawley 76, Jofra Archer 38; Mitchell Starc 6/75, Doggett 1 |
| England | 2nd Innings | 241 all out | 75.2 ov | Ben Stokes 50, Will Jacks 41, Crawley 44; Neser 5/42, Boland 2/47, Starc 2/64 |
| Australia | 1st Innings | 511 all out | 117.3 ov | Mitchell Starc 77, Carey 63, Weatherald 72, Labuschagne 65; Carse 4/152, Stokes 3/113 |
| Australia | 2nd Innings | 69/2 (chased 65) | 10 ov | Steven Smith 23 (9)**, Weatherald 17; Gus Atkinson 2/37 |
- Result: Australia won by 8 wkts
- Player of the match: Mitchell Starc
England’s innings surged late on Day 1 through a brilliant Joe Root ton and an explosive counterattack from Jofra Archer. Root’s 40th Test century — his first in Australia — held England together after early strikes from Mitchell Starc, who removed Duckett, Pope, Brook, Jacks, Atkinson, and Carse for a destructive six-wicket haul. Archer’s aggressive 38 off 36 pushed England past 330 before Doggett removed him early on Day 2 with a superb diving catch from Labuschagne.
Zak Crawley’s fluent 76 and Root’s composure helped rebuild after the early collapse, while Jacks chipped in with timely boundaries. Despite disciplined spells from Green, Boland, Doggett, and Neser, England reached 334, driven by Root’s class and Archer’s late surge but repeatedly exposed by Australia’s precision and Starc’s pink-ball dominance.
Australia vs England Ashes 1st Test Highlights
| Team | Innings | Score | Overs | Key Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | 1st Innings | 172 all out | 32.5 | Harry Brook 52, Ollie Pope 46; Starc 7/58, Doggett 2/27 |
| Australia | 1st Innings | 132 all out | 45.2 | Alex Carey 26, Green 24; Stokes 5/23, Carse 3/45, Archer 2/11 |
| England | 2nd Innings | 164 all out | 34.4 | Gus Atkinson 37, Pope 33; Boland 4/33, Starc 3/55, Doggett 3/51 |
| Australia | 2nd Innings | 205/2 | 28.2 | Travis Head 123, Labuschagne 51; Carse 2/44 |
- Result: Australia won by 8 wkts
- Player of the match: Mitchell Starc
Australia ripped through England in the first innings as Mitchell Starc delivered a sensational spell, taking seven wickets and breaking partnerships at crucial moments. Short-ball pressure from Doggett also shifted momentum with key strikes on Brook and Carse. Despite some counterpunching from Pope and Jamie Smith, England collapsed for 172.
England and Australia Squad For 5th Ashes Test
Australia has been struggling with multiple players’ injuries of players like Josh Hazlewood, and Sean Abbott from the 4th Ashes match.
Australia Squad
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster.
England Squad
Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Ben Stokes (c), Jacob Bethell, Will Jacks, Gus Atkinson, Ollie Pope (wk), Jamie Smith (wk), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, Mark Wood.
Pitch Report of Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (5th Test)
The Sydney Cricket Ground traditionally offers a surface that changes noticeably as a Test progresses. Early on, fast bowlers can extract seam movement and bounce with the new ball, especially during the morning sessions, while batting becomes more comfortable once players settle in.
Unlike the MCG, the SCG tends to slow down as the match wears on, bringing spinners into play earlier in the Test. Footmarks outside the right-hander’s off stump often become a key factor from Day 3 onward, rewarding bowlers who can vary pace and extract turn.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Pitch Behaviour | True bounce early, slows and takes turn later |
| Batting Assistance | Good for set batters, especially Days 2–3 |
| Bowling Assistance | Pacers early; spinners influential from mid-match |
| Ground Dimension | Large square boundaries, shorter straight boundaries |
| Toss & Preference | Teams often prefer batting first |
Batters who negotiate the early movement can build substantial innings, but patience is required as scoring becomes tougher against spin in the later stages of the match.
Weather Report – Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (5th Test)
Weather conditions in Sydney for the 5th Ashes Test are expected to be largely favourable, with warm summer temperatures and limited rain threat across the match duration.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Temperature | Expected between 23°C and 29°C |
| Weather | Mostly clear with some cloud cover |
| Precipitation | Low chance of rain (10–15%) |
| Humidity | Around 55%–65%, manageable conditions |
| Wind | Light coastal breeze around 10–18 km/h |
The stable weather forecast points toward uninterrupted play for most of the Test. A light coastal breeze may assist swing bowlers during early sessions, while overall conditions should support a full five-day contest at the SCG.
Australia vs England Head-to-Head In Test Matches
The oldest rivals in Test cricket, Australia and England, have met 365 times. Out of 365 occasions, the Australian team defeated England 155 times, while England has won only 113.
| Aspect | Stats |
|---|---|
| Total Matches Played | 365 |
| Australia Won | 155 |
| England Won | 113 |
| Draw | 97 |
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Key Players To Watch
Here are the key players for the 5th test match between England and Australia.
| Players | Test Career Stats |
|---|---|
| Steve Smith | 10,613 runs in 122 matches at an average of 55.85 with 36 centuries. |
| Travis Head | 4,400 runs in 64 test games at an average of 42.71. |
| Nathan Lyon | 567 wickets in 141 games at an economy of 2.94 with 24 five-wicket hauls. |
| Joe Root | 13,777 runs in 162 games at an average of 50.83 with 40 centuries. |
| Ben Stokes | 7,215 runs and 243 wickets in 119 games in Tests. |
| Jofra Archer | 60 wickets in 18 games at an economy of 2.99. |
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