Fifth Ashes Test - SCG.

[Donny]

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test).

Unsurprisingly, Ashton Agar has been added to the Aussie squad, for the Sydney Test.

Let's assume, Starc comes back for Bird. Who would make way for the second spinner ? Some pundits reckon Cummins needs a rest. Highly unlikely that Hazlewood would miss out.

Notwithstanding Mitch Marsh's gallant effort in Melbourne, he could make way for Agar, with Paine moving up to #6.

[Donny]

Australia: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.

12th. man Handscomb or M Marsh.

[Donny]

Joe Root won the toss. England to bat first.

Australia: 1 Cameron Bancroft, 2 David Warner, 3 Usman Khawaja, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Shaun Marsh, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Tim Paine (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon.

England: 1 Alastair Cook, 2 Mark Stoneman, 3 James Vince, 4 Joe Root (capt), 5 Dawid Malan, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Mason Crane, 11 James Anderson

[Donny]

1/70.

Stoneman out to Cummins.

[Donny]

2/90.

Cummins has both wickets.

[Donny]

3/95. Cook out to Hazlewood.

[K]

Khawaja just embarrassed himself in the field.
The guy shouldn't be in the team.

[Donny]

3/196. Root 67*, Malam 39*.

[Donny]

4/229 as Starc snares Root for 83.

[K]

Good catch. (Thank goodness it wasn't Khawaja at square leg.)
And a good finish with the new ball.

[Donny]

Stumps. 5/233. Root out for 83.

Josh Hazlewood has 2/47. Malam 55*.

[K]

Smith has (partially) redeemed himself.

[Donny]

7/330. Wickets for Starc and Cummins.

[Donny]

All out 346. Cummins 4/80.

[K]

They really need to knuckle down now and go big, so that they have to bat only once. No real excuses for not doing so; apart from the Headbutt Brothers (both butted out by the new ball), no one batting in this match hasn't got to at least 24, with the exception of the runout.