Australia stumble to a five-wicket win in the final Test, bidding farewell to their first Muslim cricketer Usman Khawaja.
Australia had a few nervous moments but safely chased down their 160-run victory target before tea on the final day of the fifth Ashes Test match against England, earning a five-wicket victory and a 4-1 series triumph.
Seamer Josh Tongue led England’s battling rearguard with 3-42 but Alex Carey got Australia across the line with a four through the covers in the company of Cameron Green on Thursday.
“We’ve played so well as a team,” said Steve Smith, who was standing in for Pat Cummins as Australia captain for the fourth time in the series.
“We’ve had some incredible individual performances but … everyone else just stood up at different moments. I think that’s what makes a really good team. We won those big moments throughout the series.”
England will take credit for making a game of it and not being ground into the Sydney dirt as previous tourists have in end-of-series dead rubbers at the famous old ground.
Without the bowling of injured captain Ben Stokes, however, defending 160 was always going to be an uphill challenge on a good wicket.
Australia’s openers managed to get the target under 100 runs before Man of the Match Travis Head, whose third century of the series underpinned his team’s first-innings 567, ballooned a shot to midwicket off Tongue for 29.
Jake Weatherald followed for 34, again caught off Tongue’s bowling, to bring up lunch with Australia 89 runs from their goal.
It was 15 years and a day since England won the final Test of the 2010-11 series at the same ground by an innings and 83 runs – the last time they won an Ashes series Down Under.
Usman Khawaja made his debut in that match and got his chance for one final innings before retirement when Smith was bowled through the gate by the spin of Will Jacks for 12 soon after lunch.
The England players formed a cordon to welcome Khawaja to the crease but Tongue’s bowling was less friendly and the left-hander played on for six after facing seven balls.
His farewell did not go as planned but Khawaja said it was a memorable occasion after a decorated 15-year career and more than 6,000 runs.
“I was trying to act cool, but the whole Test match I found it really hard to control my emotions,” the 39-year-old admitted afterwards.
“It means a lot. The only thing I wanted was a win,” he said.
“Grateful for the one last final win and to celebrate with my teammates.
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