Australia Vs England, 5th Ashes Test Day 5 Highlights: Jacob Bethell's Ton Goes In Vain As ENG Suffer 4-1 Series Defeat

Young rising star Jacob Bethell's maiden Test century went in vain as England suffered their 4th defeat in the series concluding encounter at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Australia will walk away as 4-1 victors of the 2025-26 Ashes series.

It was well and truly an Ashes series to remember, just like it has always been over the years. Even though the visitors England, led by Ben Stokes, lacked the competitive edge, we surely had pure entertainment throughout the 5 Test matches.

The series began in favour of Australia and things remained like that until the 3rd Test.

Led by Steve Smith for the opening two Tests, the Aussies clinched 8-wicket victories respectively before Pat Cummins came into the team and guided his side towards a comprehensive 82-run win to help Australia claim an unassailable 3-0 lead.

That marked a historic feat in this Ashes series, which was decided within just 11 days of cricket. The first Test ended in 2 days while the second and third matches took 4 and 5 days respectively for a result.

The 4th Test in Melbourne saw England stage a fightback and avoid an embarrassing whitewash, thanks to Josh Tongue's brilliance which saw Australia get folded for 152 and 132 across innings.

The result for this match also came within just 2 days of cricket.

In the 5th and final Test match which ended on Thursday, January 8, Australia ensured they conclude the 2025-26 Ashes on a winning note as they secured a 5-wicket victory to seal the series.

Despite a valiant maiden Test century from England’s young star Jacob Bethell (154), the visitors were bowled out for 342, leaving a target of 160 for the Aussies.

The chase had some nervy moments as Australia had slipped to 121/5 at one point, thanks to a spirited Josh Tongue. However, Cameron Green and Alex Carey held their nerve to cross the line.

The match also marked an emotional farewell for Usman Khawaja, who had played the final Test match of his career. Senior pacer Mitchell Starc was named Player of the Series for his 31-wicket haul.

Australia vs England, 5th Ashes Test Day 5: Ball-By-Ball commentary

Australia vs England, 5th Ashes Test: Playing XIs

England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue.

Australia: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (c), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland.

The Ashes 2025-26: Live Streaming Details

The Day 2 of the fifth Ashes Test between Australia and England will be telecast on Star Sports. It will also be streamed live on the Jio Hotstar app and website in India.