Ashes Showdown: Khawaja Bids Farewell as England Eye 3-2 in Sydney Thriller

The fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025-26 series between Australia and England kicks off today at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), with Australia leading 3-1 and England aiming to end on a high by salvaging a 3-2 scoreline.[1][2][6]

Veteran Australian opener Usman Khawaja announced his retirement from international cricket, making this his farewell match after a 14-year career. Khawaja, Australia's first Pakistan-born and Muslim national player, received tributes from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, skipper Pat Cummins, and former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan.[2]

Australia captain Steve Smith remains committed without a set retirement date and has kept England's camp guessing on team changes ahead of the decider.[2]

Speculation swirls around Australia's lineup, with potential outs for Khawaja, Cameron Green, and Jake Weatherald, possibly replaced by Webster, Murphy, and Renshaw. For England, injured Atkinson is out, with Matthew Potts stepping in, and Shoaib Bashir might replace Jacks or Bethel.[1]

The series recap shows Australia's dominance: they won the 1st Test in Perth by 8 wickets, the 2nd in Brisbane, the 3rd in Adelaide by 82 runs, putting them 3-0 up early. England bounced back with a win in the 4th Test in Melbourne, keeping 'Bazball' alive despite pressure on coach Brendon McCullum. Captain Ben Stokes urged faith in the aggressive style.[2][6]

England opener Zak Crawley emphasized a win here would highlight team unity, even without retaining the urn.[2]

Match starts at 05:00 IST (23:30 GMT previous day), drawing massive global interest, especially in India where cricket rivalry captivates fans.[3]