The Ashes 2025-26 ended exactly the way Australia wanted – with another series win in front of a packed Sydney Cricket Ground – but the final day was anything but straightforward. In the Australia vs England 2025-26 clash, Australia eventually chased down 160 with five wickets in hand, clinching a 4-1 triumph that underlined their superiority while still leaving England with a sense of “what if?” after a string of missed chances and technological controversies.
Series Context: Australia’s Commanding 4-1 Triumph
Across five Tests, Australia were simply the better, more rounded side, wrapping up the series 4-1 on home soil.
They stormed to a 3-0 lead in Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide, weathered a two-day collapse in Melbourne to lose the fourth Test, and then held their nerve in a tense chase in Sydney.
Test-by-Test Recap:
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First Test, Perth: Australia hammered England by eight wickets to set the tone.
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Second Test, Brisbane: Another eight-wicket win pushed England into a desperate position at 0-2.
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Third Test, Adelaide: An 82-run victory sealed the Ashes with two matches still to play.
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Fourth Test, Melbourne: England finally hit back with a four-wicket win on a spicy two-day pitch.
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Fifth Test, Sydney: Australia completed the job with a nervy five-wicket success chasing 160.
The Stage in Sydney: England’s Last Chance
Coming into the final day of the Sydney Test, England still had a puncher’s chance of snatching a morale-boosting win.
They resumed at the SCG with a lead of 119 runs and Jacob Bethell unbeaten on 142 after a superb maiden first-class hundred on day four.
England’s innings ended at 342 all out, leaving Australia 160 to win on a pitch that still had enough in it for quick bowlers and spinners.
It was one of those classic Ashes scenarios: not many runs, plenty of time, nerves on both sides, and the series narrative riding on every ball.
England’s Second Innings: Bethell’s Coming-of-Age Ton
The standout storyline from England’s second dig was Bethell’s breakout performance.
The young left-hander had already gone to three figures on day four and pushed on to 154, showing composure, range of strokeplay, and a temperament that screamed “long-term Test player.”
Bethell added just 12 runs on the final morning before nicking a rising Mitchell Starc delivery that was simply too close to cut.
His 154 formed the backbone of England’s 342, supported by 42 each from Ben Duckett and Harry Brook.
Starc cleaned up the tail, removing Josh Tongue for 6, and finished with 3-72 in the innings, cementing his status as the series’ leading wicket-taker with a staggering 31 wickets at under 20 apiece.
Australia’s First Innings: Head and Smith Dominate
If you’re looking for where this Sydney Test really tilted, look at Australia’s monstrous first innings.
Responding to England’s 384, the hosts piled up 567, turning a solid platform into a match-shaping lead.
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Travis Head blasted 163 off just 166 balls, a counterattacking knock that completely changed the tempo.
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Steve Smith supported him with a classy 138, absorbing pressure and punishing anything loose.
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Beau Webster added an unbeaten 71 to stretch the total and drain England’s bowlers further.
English’s attack battled away – Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse took three wickets each, with Ben Stokes chipping in – but they were ultimately overpowered by Australia’s middle order.
England’s First Innings: Root Leads the Way
England’s first innings actually gave them a platform they should have built on.
Electing to bat, they compiled 384, with Joe Root once again the anchor with a superb 160.
Root’s innings was supported by Harry Brook’s 84 and Jamie Smith’s 46, giving England depth and momentum.
Australia’s bowling was led by Michael Neser (4-60), with Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc picking up two wickets each.
At that point, England were very much in the contest – but as so often in this series, they couldn’t string together enough sessions of dominance.
Australia’s Final Chase: From Cruise Control to Panic Mode
The Ashes 2025-26, Chasing 160, Australia started like a side walking to a routine win.
Travis Head and Jake Weatherald flew out of the blocks, adding 62 for the first wicket in just over 10 overs, seemingly killing the tension before it could build.
Then the script flipped.
Josh Tongue, who had been a shining light for England, triggered a wobble with three crucial strikes.
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Head was Tongue’s first victim after helping set the early platform.
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Weatherald, after an earlier reprieve, eventually fell on the stroke of lunch with a top edge to deep fine leg.
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Usman Khawaja, playing his final Test, was bowled off an inside edge by Tongue for just six in his farewell innings.
At 121-5, with Marnus Labuschagne run out and Steve Smith bowled, the SCG was suddenly tight, tense, and very aware that a small chase can feel like a mountain when wickets tumble.
Carey and Green: Calm Heads in the Chaos
The Ashes 2025-26, With Australia still needing 39 and half the side back in the pavilion, England sensed an opening.
But Alex Carey and Cameron Green showed exactly the kind of composure England had lacked at key points in the series.
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Carey finished unbeaten on 16, even if his running between the wickets created the odd heart‑in‑mouth moment.
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Green ended on 22 not out, playing straight, picking off bad balls, and never letting the rate or situation get to him.
Their unbroken stand guided Australia to 161-5, sealing the Test and the series, and ensuring the home side avoided the embarrassment of a final-match collapse.
Snicko Controversy: Weatherald’s ‘Not Out’ Flashpoint
No modern Ashes series seems complete without some DRS drama, and Sydney delivered in spades.
The flashpoint came when Jake Weatherald, on 16, was given not out after a review for a caught behind off Brydon Carse, despite Snicko appearing to show a faint noise.
The decision was huge: Weatherald went on to make 34, contributing to Australia’s chase and leaving England furious at what they saw as another failure of technology.
Graeme Swann called the situation “nonsense”, saying Snicko exposed the inequality of the system, insisting the third umpire had to be held accountable for a “ludicrous” decision.
With earlier uncertainty around Snickometer in Adelaide, players on both sides were left wondering whether they were playing cricket or gaming a flawed system.
Missed Chances: Bethell’s Drop and Turning Points
Weatherald’s reprieve wasn’t the only moment England will replay in their minds.
Josh Tongue should have had Marnus Labuschagne early when Jacob Bethell put down a sharp chance at gully with Labuschagne on 20.
Labuschagne went on to make 37 before being run out, but the damage had been done; he had already taken 16 off a single over from Will Jacks, swinging momentum back Australia’s way.
Khawaja also survived an edge that flashed past Ben Stokes at slip off Jacks, another half-chance that might have changed the tone of the chase.
In a tight finish, those little moments add up.
England’s failure to capitalise echoed a theme of the whole series: glimpses of control, followed by mistakes at exactly the wrong time.
Tongue’s Emergence and Starc’s Masterclass
The Ashes 2025-26, Even in defeat, there were silver linings for England, and Josh Tongue was the brightest of them.
The seamer finished the final three Tests with 18 wickets, underlining how costly his omission from the first two matches might have been.
On the other side, Mitchell Starc delivered one of the finest series of his career, leading the wicket charts with 31 scalps, constantly breaking games open.
His mix of pace, swing, and accuracy – especially with the new ball and second new ball – was a huge reason why England so often found themselves batting from behind.
Stokes’ Verdict: “We Play Too Much 3/10 Cricket”
The Ashes 2025-26, After the series, Ben Stokes was brutally honest about where England stand.
He admitted that teams now understand how to play against this England side, accusing his team of playing “too much 3/10 cricket” – in other words, taking options that might come off three times out of ten and failing to recognise when the situation demands more restraint.
Stokes stressed the importance of honest conversations within the dressing room, insisting the only way to progress is to be direct about failings and expectations.
Physically, Stokes admitted he was carrying a groin issue, saying he had “been better, been worse” and would only know the full extent after returning home.
It summed up his series: battling, committed, but hampered by both body and circumstances.
What Next for England’s Setup?
A 4-1 defeat always brings scrutiny.
Questions are be ask about England’s preparation, with the side limited to just one intra-squad warm-up game before the series – hardly ideal for an Ashes tour in Australian conditions.
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Ben Stokes is expect to remain captain, with his leadership and aggressive mindset central to England’s future identity.
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Head coach Brendon McCullum is likely to stay, help by his role in leading the white-ball side into the upcoming T20 World Cup.
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Managing director Rob Key, who appoint both Stokes and McCullum in 2022, will also be under scrutiny but may be give time for recalibration rather than a reset.
The big challenge for England is to retain the positive intent that made them watchable while cutting out reckless passages that turned competitive positions into heavy defeats.
Australia’s Legacy from This Ashes
From an Australian perspective, this 4-1 win adds another layer to an already formidable home Ashes record.
They not only retained the urn but did so with authority, wrapping up the series within 11 days of actual play across the first three Tests.
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Travis Head’s explosive batting, Steve Smith’s class, and the emergence of Beau Webster added depth.
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Starc’s 31 wickets, combined with Neser, Boland, Green, and others, gave Australia relentless bowling options.
There was also an emotional subplot, with Usman Khawaja bowing out of Test cricket in Sydney.
He walked through a guard of honour and received a standing ovation, even if his final innings lasted just six runs.
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Conclusion
The Ashes 2025-26, Zoom in on that final day in Sydney, and it felt like a classic Ashes thriller – a modest chase, a clatter of wickets, umpiring controversy, missed chances, and a jittery home crowd.
Zoom out to the full five-Test canvas, and the picture is clear: Australia were the stronger, more consistent side, and a 4-1 scoreline tells that story loud and clear.
England had their moments – Bethell’s hundred, Tongue’s emergence, the Melbourne win – but the pattern was simple: Australia won the big sessions and managed pressure better.
As the dust settles, England face honest reflection and tactical refinement, while Australia can enjoy another chapter of Ashes dominance on home soil and start planning to carry momentum into future challenges.
