Australia sealed a commanding 4–1 Ashes series victory with a five-wicket win over England on the final day at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), wrapping up the series alongside 12 crucial World Test Championship (WTC) points. The hosts chased down a modest target of 160, surviving a brief wobble to ensure retiring great Usman Khawaja signed off his Test career as an Ashes winner.
After dismissing England for 342 early on day five, Australia appeared in control before England’s bowlers injected late drama. Josh Tongue led the resistance with 3 for 42, removing Travis Head, Jake Weatherald and finally Khawaja, who was denied a fairy-tale ending when he chopped on for six in his farewell innings. Khawaja still received a stirring guard of honour from England and a standing ovation from the SCG crowd, marking an emotional end to an 88-Test journey.
Australia stumbled from 62 without loss to 121 for 5, with Marnus Labuschagne run out for 37 and Steve Smith bowled by a sharply turning delivery from Will Jacks. With tension briefly rising, Alex Carey and Cameron Green showed composure under pressure, adding an unbeaten 40-run stand to calm nerves. Carey’s boundary through cover ultimately sealed the match and the series.
Earlier, England’s slim hopes of setting a trickier target rested on Jacob Bethell, who produced a superb 154 in the second innings. The 22-year-old batted with maturity while shepherding the tail, but his resistance ended when Mitchell Starc, named Player of the Series, found the edge with the second new ball. Starc finished the series with 31 wickets, the most by an Australian in an Ashes since Mitchell Johnson’s iconic 2013–14 campaign.
The victory lifts Australia to the top of the World Test Championship 2025-27 standings with 87.50% of possible points, underlining their dominance at home. While questions remain around the batting order, standout contributions from Travis Head, Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc proved decisive across a frenetic, at times scrappy series that England struggled to fully capitalise on despite flashes of promise.
For Khawaja, the ending was fitting if not flawless. Walking off the SCG for the final time, performing Sajdah on the outfield and acknowledging a roaring crowd, he closed the chapter on a career defined by resilience, reinvention and grace. Australia, accordingly, move forward as Ashes holders once more, experienced, battle-hardened, and firmly in control of the road to the next World Test Championship final.
