Australia 567 (Head 163, Smith 138, Tongue 3-97) and 161 for 5 (Labuschagne 37, Weatherald 34, Tongue 3-42) beat England 384 (Root 160, Neser 4-60) and 342 (Bethell 154, Webster 3-64, Starc 3-72) by five wickets
Carey and Green Hold Nerve in Final-Day Drama
Australia closed the Ashes in fitting fashion.
Not flawless.
Not serene.
But effective.
Chasing 160 at the SCG, Australia wobbled, teased danger, then calmly crossed the line to secure a five-wicket win and a commanding 4–1 Ashes series victory.
The final margin reflected dominance.
The journey did not.
A Chase That Refused to Behave
Australia began smoothly.
Too smoothly.
At 62 without loss, the contest looked done. England appeared resigned. Then chaos returned — as it so often did in this strange series.
Three wickets fell quickly.
Confidence drained.
The surface began to misbehave.
England sniffed a miracle.
Khawaja’s Final Walk at the SCG
All eyes turned to Usman Khawaja.
The SCG rose.
England formed a guard of honour.
A hug from Marnus Labuschagne followed.
A fairy tale ending felt possible.
It lasted seven balls.
Josh Tongue shattered the stumps.
Six runs only.
No final flourish.
Khawaja bowed to the crowd, performed Sajdah on the outfield, and walked off to a thunderous ovation — a dignified farewell to an outstanding Test career.
England’s Brief Window of Hope
England fought.
They genuinely did.
Josh Tongue bowled with heart.
Brydon Carse brought edge and aggression.
Ben Stokes played on — but could not bowl due to injury.
There were reviews.
Arguments.
Snicko spikes.
Anger.
Nothing changed the scoreboard.
Head Shines, Then Falls
Travis Head once again dictated tempo.
Fast hands.
Positive intent.
No hesitation.
His dismissal on 29 ended a phenomenal Ashes campaign:
- 629 runs
- Average: 62.90
- Ninth-highest by an Australian in Ashes history
A series-defining performance.
Surface Turns, Pressure Builds
For once, the SCG behaved like the SCG.
Spin gripped.
Bounce varied.
Batters hesitated.
Steven Smith was undone by sharp turn from Will Jacks.
Labuschagne was run out after confusion with Carey.
Suddenly, Australia needed calm heads.
Enter Carey.
Enter Green.
Carey and Green Finish the Job
This was their moment.
No theatrics.
No panic.
Just control.
Alex Carey, one of Australia’s most reliable performers this series, guided the chase intelligently.
Cameron Green, under immense scrutiny, batted with composure and restraint.
A 40-run partnership ended England’s resistance.
Carey struck the winning boundary.
Australia exhaled.
Starc Towers Over the Series
Before the chase, Mitchell Starc had already shaped the result.
- 31 wickets
- Relentless pace
- Match-winning spells throughout
He dismissed Jacob Bethell — who had fought brilliantly for England — to reach 30 wickets, the most by an Australian since Mitchell Johnson’s 2013–14 Ashes heroics.
Starc was the deserved Player of the Series.
England’s Familiar Regret
Joe Root’s magnificent 160 should have mattered more.
It didn’t.
Again, England left runs on the table.
Again, collapses followed promise.
Again, Australia punished mistakes.
England improved as the series progressed — but were never consistent enough.
Australia: Imperfect but Superior
Australia were not flawless.
Questions remain over the batting order.
Moments of indiscipline surfaced.
The cricket was often messy.
But when it mattered:
- They were calmer
- Smarter
- Tougher
Carey. Head. Starc.
Those names defined the series.
Final Word
The Ashes ended not with a roar — but with certainty.
Australia were better.
Across conditions.
Across pressure moments.
Across 18 intense days.
Ashes Final Result: Australia 4, England 1
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