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The players are about to take the field for an extended first session scheduled to run for two and a half hours. If Travis Head is batting at lunch, Australia will be strapped into the driving seat.

A Sea of Pink for a Cause

It’s Jane McGrath Day at the SCG, with everybody wearing pink in support of the McGrath Foundation. The day honors the charity's dedication to offering support for cancer patients.

A fan dressed in all pink arrives at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

A Heated Exchange Mars the Evening

The intent was unclear whether it was a signal sent to the Australians or his own bowlers. Ben Stokes signed off a frustrating second evening in Sydney by exchanging remarks out in the middle with Marnus Labuschagne. Seemingly reacting to something said by Labuschagne, Stokes was audibly telling “shut the fuck up” at the end of the over. He then walked over and put an arm around his opponent’s shoulder to continue the exchange.

As the umpires moved in, the England skipper departed following a brief pat. Under ICC regulations, Stokes potentially faces sanction for making improper physical contact.

Questions Over Australia's Bowling Tactics

Shane Warne's biography title 'No Spin' was not an endorsement of the tactic. It's presumptuous to speak for the deceased, but his lifelong stance was unequivocal in supporting fellow spinners. Teams should always give themselves the option of spin bowling was his common contention.

Loyalty to a bowling type isn't the sole consideration. Former pace colleague Jason Gillespie echoed the sentiment watching the fifth Ashes Test. “You need that variety,” he stated during commentary.

Australia didn’t have it. Instead, they had a trio of pace specialists, a couple of curiously employed all-rounders and a sprinkle of part-time guff. They permitted England's batting to accelerate, with substantial partnerships while Joe Root compiled his highest score in Australia of 160 and England their highest score of the series, 384.

It would have been helpful to introduce a specialist spinner when Root and Harry Brook were settling in. It would have been helpful to save Mitchell Starc from bowling a fourth spell.

Preamble: A Session of Significance

Hello and welcome to live coverage of day three at the SCG. A crucial morning session awaits, yet one cannot ignore the series finale atmosphere that has pervaded this Test so far.

Final Ashes Tests often prove anticlimactic, particularly when England play in Australia. This one seems particularly subdued, largely due to the pre-series hype. Two inconsequential matches? It defies our predictions when we were imagining the 2025-26 Ashes.

The stakes are further reduced of a potential whitewash; the outcome will be either 4-1 or 3-2 to Australia. At this moment, 4-1 looks more likely. A poor bowling performance from England allowed Australia to charge to 166 for two, a deficit of 218, in only 34.1 overs. Travis Head is 91 not out from 87 balls; the nightwatchman Michael Neser has 1 from 15.

Neser received a painful blow to the elbow near the end of play, a reminder that this pitch – though generally batsman-friendly – is somewhat unpredictable. If England, particularly Matthew Potts, find their length this morning they can force their way back into the game.

Regarding this specific game, the morning's play is vital. It’s just that the match isn’t as big as we hoped.