Centuries from Smith and Head powered Australia to a dominant position over England

Australia handled it with dignity. On the opening day of the fifth Test, they paid a fitting tribute to the victims and first responders of the Bondi tragedy, and by day three, the Sydney Cricket Ground was awash in pink to once again raise much-needed funds for the McGrath Foundation.

In the meantime, however, Australian charity was in short supply. In three sessions their batsmen left England bowlers in the dust and perhaps answered some questions about their motivation after winning the Ashes, especially following the madness of Melbourne.

Red-faced with exertion, Ben Stokes and his men rushed to the stumps at the sight of the pink elephants. Steve Smith’s 37th Test century, an unbeaten 129 from 205 balls, was followed by Travis Head’s second half of 163 from 166 balls, and with it Australia had made 518 for seven in 124 overs.

The lead remained 134 runs overnight and looked ominous. The Barmy Army had been singing all day, trying to lift the England players, but it was an all too familiar sensation for them in Sydney.

Australia has performed poorly at the SCG in recent times, having scored 416 for eight declared here in 2022 and a dreadful 649 for seven declared four years ago.

So much for anyone worrying about the pitch leading up to this match. The surface was excellent for batting on day three, and the attack was also excellent for batting against.

No bowler backed down, but the figures were still appalling, especially Matthew Potts, who made 141 in 25 overs after returning to the team and was the victim of a humiliating three-figure innings by a terrible six from Head.

Three more catches went to the ground—England’s tally for the series is around 17, depending on how tough they are—and Stokes burned his last two reviews in the morning trying to remove the nightwatchman, Michael Nesser.

Then came the mockery after each rejected appeal, adding to the collage of damaged English images in every way.

Head started bowling from where he had left the ball last night and added nine quick runs for his third century in this Ashes.

When Jacob Bethell’s left-arm darts dismissed him in the blink of an eye after lunch, the score was 288 for four, and Head’s total for the series was 600. And to think, Usman Khawaja’s back pain in Perth made it possible for him to become the firebrand opener.

The left-arm bowler also benefited from two drops from Will Jacks, the first of which, on 121, set the tone for the day.

Running from deep mid-wicket, Jacks seemed to have done it all, only to take his eyes off the ball at the last second and snatch it from the crocodile’s hand.

But despite the devastation of Head’s recent jaw-dropper and the generous applause for Khawaja when he went to mid-on and was announced back on 17, this was Smith’s day.

It was also one of his strangest deliveries, with flies flying on the sightscreen, gesturing after almost every ball, and ending with a dust-stained white ball after ducking under a bouncer with a roly-poly.

Smith was in a vintage mood, giving up a difficult opportunity to slip leg for 12, making many a raucous noise with a homespun technique that gave false hope of LBW, and reaching a steady climax in the final session.

When he hit a single for 83, he had scored 3,637 runs in Ashes cricket, surpassing Jack Hobbs, with only Don Bradman, who had 5,028 runs, ahead.

The gentle applause that marked the milestone turned to a roar at 5pm when Smith completed his 13th Ashes century, three runs behind against Bethel, and for the second time in the day, plonked himself between Hobbs (12) and Bradman (19).

If England had had a chance, that second new ball would have left Australia at 324 for four, with 60 runs to spare. But when Carse managed to pin Khawaja with a yorker, and Alex Carey’s mistake with a leg slip worked again, Smith found some worthy companions in Cameron Green, 37, and Beau Webster, 42 not out, to reach the close.

Having lost five wickets for 61 runs off the second new ball a day earlier, England was reminded again of their shortcomings on a tour that is now heading towards a grim final chapter.