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THE Ashes Series 2025-26 reached a captivating climax at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), delivering a masterclass in Test Match theater. Englanddespite having already conceded the urn, arrived in Sydney with a point to prove following his spectacular Boxing Day victory in Melbourne. The match was a swinging battle of wills: England’s first innings of 384 was overtaken by AustraliaIt’s a whopping 567, but the visitors found a second wind on Day 4. Jacob BethellDespite the resilience of 142, England fought back to 302/8 at stumps, carving out a slim but psychologically significant lead of 119 runs. With just two wickets remaining and the pitch starting to show the characteristic wear and tear of a fifth day SCG deck, the stage is set for a final day shootout where the momentum could shift with just one wicket.
Ashes 2025-26: Alastair Cook sets England’s defensive target to defeat Australia on day five of Sydney Test
After the conclusion of the fourth day, the former England captain Sir Alastair Cook spoke with TNT Sports to analyze the narrow path to victory of Ben Stokes‘men. Cook ruled out the possibility of a draw, noting that the fast-paced nature of the game and the deterioration of the surface made the outcome almost certain. He argued that on a fifth-day pitch, a rarity in modern Test cricket where matches often end early, even a modest target could prove insurmountable if England strike early.
“I don’t think a draw is possible because there is too much cricket to be played. However, one thing you can say about the 4th innings of a 5th day, which we don’t get very often – normally the pitch in a Test match with 3 or 4 days of cricket is pretty good. We could see that pitch deteriorate a lot more, so suddenly 160 or 220, they obviously have 2 wickets left, if they have any left 6 wickets they could get 220. So it is possible to defend 160 runs if you get the first Australian wickets. » said Cook.
Cook’s analysis highlighted that the pressure of a fifth day chase in Australia is particularly difficult. He suggested that if England’s tail could wag just enough to push the lead beyond 150, outside luck would become a very real threat to Australia’s batting line-up.
Ashes 2025-26: Cook identifies specific wickets England must claim to trigger Australian collapse
In the final segment of his analysis, Cook identified the specific wickets England must claim to trigger an Australian collapse. He identified Travis head as the ultimate prize, pointing out that his aggressive style is the driving force behind Australia’s “bright starts”. Without Head to take the game away, Cook believes England’s bowlers can induce a sense of panic that has been lacking for much of the series.
“England in particular need to get Travis Head out. They get Travis Head out, Australia won’t get the good start, they can suddenly be 30/3. One or two suddenly explode, you get Steve Smith caught in the gully that he can’t bowl, then suddenly you can believe. We’ve seen so many matches in the past here in Australia where it’s hard to chase the score. England don’t have the specialist spinner they’d like, but it’s an outside chance. They gave themselves an outside chance. outside chance, so you never know. Cook concluded.
Cook concluded by acknowledging that while England are disadvantaged by the absence of a frontline player to exploit the cracks in the SCG, the psychological weight of the Ashes means belief is often more powerful than technical advantage. If England can find a way to dismiss Smith and Head cheaply, the SCG could well witness one of the great final day escapes in Ashes history.
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