Fifth Ashes Test, day five – in pictures and social

Fifth Ashes Test, day five – in pictures and social

Joe Root’s bravery was in vain as England slid to an innings-and-123-run defeat in the final Test to complete their miserable Ashes campaign as 4-0 losers.

Root spent much of the morning in hospital suffering the effects of severe dehydration and was unable to rejoin his team’s improbable rearguard at the SCG as they resumed on 93 for four – still 210 runs short of making Australia bat again.

The England captain did continue his innings an hour later, after his replacement Moeen Ali was dismissed, but could not do so again following the lunch break as the tourists subsided in his absence to Pat Cummins (four for 39) and finished 180 all out.

Morning session

With Root unable to resume his innings in the morning due after picking up a viral gastroenteritis bug, Moeen walked out with Jonny Bairstow.

But it was a familiar story as the England off-spinning all-rounder once again fell to his opposite number Nathan Lyon for just 13 to leave England 121 for five.

Moeen’s dismissal brought Root to the crease after he arrived late at the ground.

And he moved to his fifth half-century of the series after resuming on 42 not out and was unbeaten on 58 at lunch as England went to the interval on 144 for five.

The England skipper was not the only player in the wars as Cameron Bancroft, fielding at short-leg, took the full force of a Root pull.

Afternoon session

Root’s illness got the better of him and he did not resume his innings after lunch, retiring hurt for a second time.

England then suffered a poor start to the session as Cummins quickly removed Bairstow and Stuart Broad to leave them 148 for seven – effectively eight with Root unable to bat.

Mason Crane followed for two, again to Cummins, bringing last-man James Anderson to the crease with the Australians attacking to the very end.

And it was all over when Anderson edged Josh Hazlewood to Tim Paine for his third catch of the session.

Not a bad prediction from former Australia captain Ricky Ponting was it?

No surprises on the man of the series.

And it was time for the celebrations to start.

Steve Smith
Australia skipper Steve Smith celebrates with the urn (Jason O’Brien/PA)

And the congratulations roll in.

Australia captain Smith credited Lyon for changing the series with his run-out of James Vince at Brisbane.

After the post mortem of England’s campaign began.

– Advertisement –
– Advertisement –