Travis Head’s brutal 163 and a composed unbeaten 129 from Steven Smith powered Australia into complete control of the SCG Test, as the hosts marched to 518 for 7 and a commanding 134-run first-innings lead over England.
Head resumed on 91 and needed barely half an hour to surge to his 12th Test hundred, torching England’s bowlers to all parts in an innings full of power, timing, and trademark aggression. He hammered 163 from just 166 deliveries, punishing Matthew Potts in particular, as England’s short-ball plan repeatedly fell apart under the Sydney sun.
Smith, accordingly, anchored the innings in his own meticulous style. Dropped early by Zak Crawley at leg slip, the Australia captain made England pay dearly. He absorbed pressure, pounced on spin, and ticked past three figures for the 37th time in Test cricket, moving second on the all-time Ashes run-scorers list behind Don Bradman. His 129* at stumps not only steadied Australia but tightened their grip on the match.
There were emotional moments too. Usman Khawaja, playing his final Test, walked out to a roaring ovation, only to fall for 17 to a low full toss from Brydon Carse. The goodbye came without the fairytale innings, but with all the warmth of a grateful SCG crowd. Earlier, Marnus Labuschagne frustrated England with a composed 48, as Australia slowly drained the tourists’ energy across 124 overs.
England, who posted 384 thanks to Joe Root’s 160, looked ragged in the field, dropping multiple chances and struggling for consistency with the ball. With the pitch now showing cracks and uneven bounce, the Australians hold all the cards heading into day four, eyeing a decisive 4-1 Ashes series triumph.
Right now, the scoreboard, and the momentum, is painted green and gold.
