Here is Geoff Lemon on the impact of Australia’s contentious selection decision.

Ali Martin reports on what turned into half a day of action to begin the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG.

Bad news, I’m afraid. The scorers in front of the media centre at the SCG are indicating play will be abandoned for today with a 10am resumption tomorrow. Jeers ring out around the crowd and across the world. Despite no rain, floodlights at full whack, an hour of play left in the day and at least three hours of daylight left in Sydney, umpires Ahsan Raza and Chris Gaffeney have elected to call stumps and leave a full house at the SCG hanging. A terrible look for Australian cricket but one we’ve become all too accustomed to in Sydney, alas.

Promising signs, folks. The rain has stopped at the SCG and skies are clearing. The crowd, so patient during this delay, has started roaring again as umpires ready to inspect the pitch.

Yesterday was the 23-year anniversary of a famous Ashes innings, one commemorated with a bronze trophy at the SCG today. In 2003, Steve Waugh was captain of Australia and, after a lean run with the bat, under massive pressure to hold his spot in the side. I was there that day and remember the rapturous reception Waugh’s home crowd gave him when his time to bat arrived. I also remember Waugh being so determined to set his critics straight, he didn’t walk but ran from the dressing room. Unfortunately he found a portly security guard waddling ahead of him in the player race leading to the field. Desperate to get onto the arena, Waugh whacked the guard smartly on the backside to clear the way – the first blow in a fabulous knock.

Good news: Umpires are on the field inspecting the wicket. Bad news: it’s still raining at the SCG, albeit easing up a little.

Michael Peel is watching the rain in Sydney from rainy London and feeling reflective on the future of English cricket. “As I understand it, Bazball is about batsmen taking risks learnt from shorter forms of the game to make it more exciting. It doesn’t need to go completely (though the name can), but must be used judiciously.”

Judicious: (def). having, showing, or done with good judgement or sense.

Unfortunately that’s not really the Bazball way is it? But after 11 days of headless chook batting led to yet another Ashes series shellacking, plenty of people agree with you, Michael. Will England coach and Bazball architect Brendon McCullum keep his job when the ashes are sifted from the wreckage of this tour back home? Captain Ben Stokes is hoping so.

Australia have fielded a weird XI for this Test – no specialist spinner (Nathan Lyon is injured, Todd Murphy omitted) and two allrounders (the out-of-form Cameron Green and until-now out-of-favour Beau Webster) with two wicket-keeper batters in the line-up in the form of Alex Carey and Josh Inglis in the middle order. Quick Jhye Richardson was benched while specialist opener Usman Khawaja, in his final Test, prepared to farewell his home crowd from No 4.

Of course with Khawaja’s retirement after this Test, Australia could be in the market for an opener and/or a middle-order batter. Can Jake Weatherald hold his spot as Travis Head’s opening partner? If so, do Australia need a specialist middle-order batter instead? Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting says yes and reckons 19-year-old Victorian allrounder Oliver Peake is the man most likely.

With rain converging on the SCG from the north and the west, the heavy covers are on and the crowd has retreated to the bars and pie carts under the cover of the venerable old grandstands. However, it’s worth nothing that day one carries the worst forecast and although a sprinkle may yet appear tomorrow, days 3-5 are clear so we will see plenty of cricket in Sydney.

England will hope so. They are flying at 211-3 and looking as ominous as they did in 2011-12 when Alastair Cook (189) and Ian Bell (115) and Matt Prior (118) led England to a massive 644 to snatch victory by an innings and 83 runs – their first Ashes win in Australia in 24 years and, until last week’s win in Melbourne, their most recent Ashes victory in Australia.

That game also marked Usman Khawaja’s Test debut.

Eyes are already turning to the 2027 Ashes and former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is tipping 23-year-old Victorian Campbell Kellaway to partner Travis Head as Australia’s opener on that tour. Kellaway has only played 39 first-class games and averages just 33 with the bat but he certainly caught a few eyes with his knock against England in the Prime Minister’s XI game earlier this summer…

Although rain often blights the Sydney Test, Ali Martin wasn’t joking when he called it a “bucket-list venue” where career’s ignite and eras – even that of Bazball – may end…

The lighter hessian covers at the SCG have now been covered by the heavier plastic sheets so it looks like serious rain will soon follow this heavy half-hour of thunder and cloud.

For Sydneysiders, this weather delay is more of the same. The 2022 Ashes Test here was similarly affected by storms and bad light and the 2023 Test against South Africa copped 25mm of rain despite Usman Khawaja scoring a memorable 195.

Shane Warne always argued for the Sydney Test being staged earlier in the summer when the weather is typically better and given NSW is again facing down severe storms and flooding and the Bureau of Meteorology is predicting “damaging winds, large hailstones and heavy rainfall for Sydney”, there’s plenty to support a rejigged schedule in future.

After a 13-day series so far, surely Cricket Australia and host broadcaster Channel Seven can’t afford to lose any more days of Test cricket from the home summer?

With the 2025-26 Ashes decided inside 11 days and the fourth Test done and dusted in two, Guardian readers have had plenty of time to reflect on their favourite Ashes cricketers. Who’s yours?

Even with Acadaca thundering on the OBO, we’ve lost Sumit Rahman to the Land of Nod.

It’s been great to stay up for a few hours and watch some proper Test Match cricket. I guess now is the time to go to bed. I’m sure I heard one of the TNT Sports folk mention a few hours ago that Sydney loses more playing time to rain than Manchester does so I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised by this weather? Best wishes from a freezing cold UK!

With an early tea taken due to bad light, fans at the SCG are getting a tad snakey that players are still off the field despite the floodlight on full-bore and no rain falling. There’s grey clouds aplenty and lots of rolling thunder, typical summer conditions for the home town of an act born here in Sin City…

Max Thomas writes in liking what he’s seeing from Harry Brook in his 78 not out and urges a promotion up the order.

If Harry Brook graduates to England’s top four, who moves? In the latter stages of his career England would surely want to keep Root at 4 given his record there, and Bethell looks like a long-term player. Even if Bethell ends up batting 6 eventually, I just think putting top four responsibility on Brook’s shoulders could take away the youthful aggression that makes him so difficult at times to bowl to. He’s already vice-captain – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

It’s a good point, Max. Cricket custom usually affords a youngster like Bethell a softer start in the middle-order before runs and experience pushes him up the order. Brook is now 26 and definitely a top-four player so if not now, when? But as for taking that youthful aggression away from him? Vice captaincy hasn’t curbed any of his enthusiasm for freewheeling occasionally brain-fart strokeplay, so would the responsibilities of being a top-order man do it?

An early tea has been called by umpires at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The covers are coming on but the rain has not yet descended. Storms are apparently coming from the west but England’s malestrom hails from the north as two Yorkshireman in 35-year-old Joe Root and 26-year-old Harry Brook seize the momentum on day one via a huge partnership of 154 runs from 193 balls.

For all their pleasant pinkness, Sydney Tests have been cursed by the weather gods for many years. Josh Nicholas reflected on the SCG’s reputation for sogginess this time last summer.

45th over: England 211-3 (Root 72, Brook 78) Finally, a bowling change by Steve Smith as Michael Neser replaces Scott Boland. The burly Queenslander has 1-33 from his nine overs so far and steams in under fading light in Sydney. Root watches and waits on the first couple then clips one square for a run. Neser’s reply is a fuller ball but Root punches it past deep square leg for a single.

Eamonn Maloney writes in. “I really thought Australia were bluffing and Webster was going to bowl his spin, which they’d not have seen anything of.”

Not so far, Eamonn. But if these clouds keep bruising Australia may have to resort to Webster’s part-time tweakers. Or even Travis Head’s mystery balls.

44th over: England 208-3 (Root 69, Brook 77) BANG! goes Harry Brook. That was short from Green first up and Brook stepped back and swatted it through covers to the rope. England’s run rate is now climbing to five-per-over while Green’s expense sheet is nudging eight-runs for every over. Keep rain dancing, Aussie fans.

43rd over: England 202-3 (Root 69, Brook 72) The floodlights are on at the SCG and storm clouds are roiling overhead. Harry Brook and Joe Root have reigned supreme since the 13th over when they came together with England 56-3. Can Australia get some wind in their sails before the heavens open? Scott Boland is bending his back manfully to plug up the runs and he succeeds, with just a single from the over.

There were moving scenes at the SCG this morning when Ahmed al-Ahmed, hero of the Bondi terror attack, was given a lap of honour with his fellow first responders. Thanks, Ahmed.

42nd over: England 200-3 (Root 68, Brook 71) Already under pressure to hold his place, Cameron Green has been belted today. He starts his seventh at 0-45 and Brook takes a pair of twos from a couple of fat half-volleys through midwicket. Surely Smith changes the tune? This partnership has powered to 142 from 174 balls. Root is denied a four from a straight drive into the stumps at the non-strikers end. But the Barmy Army get to cheer England raising the 200.

41st over: England 194-3 (Root 67, Brook 66) England are well on top. Joe Root notches his 300th run for the series from Scott Boland’s 12th over. This has got shades of the 454 partnership Root and Brooks amassed in 2024. Steve Smith is sweating and looking to the heavens. The bright blue skies of the first session are dimming now as grey clouds gather overhead. Is he praying for rain… or spin?

40th over: England 191-3 (Root 65, Brook 65) Cameron Green returns and immediately draws a lofted edge over the slips cordon from Joe Root. Well controlled by the veteran though. Can’t say the same for Harry Brook’s top-edged hook next ball. His luck holds again though as it falls just short of the fine leg fielder. Now he nails the shot. Green strays down leg at hip-height and Brook swivels and swats with typical abandon. That’s gone ten rows back for SIX.

39th over: England 181-3 (Root 63, Brook 57) Easy runs from Scott Boland’s 11th over as Root and Brook rotate the strike with tap ‘n’ go cricket. Brendon McCullum has the crossword open on his lap, a sign his side are cruising. Wonder if Steve Smith is regretting not picking a spinner yet?

38th over: England 179-3 (Root 62, Brook 56) Steve Smith has kept the five outfielders back for Cameron Green’s fifth over. Is he about to spring a trap? The bait is dangled first ball, a short ball on leg stump line. Root swings hard and flat, hooking it off his nose behind square. Fielded on the rope so just a single but a sign England are growing in confidence on this slow SCG pitch. Brook swipes to the same spot next ball. Green pitches his last ball even shorter and Root hooks for FOUR, splitting the fielders. Great shot!

37th over: England 173-3 (Root 55, Brook 57) Thanks Tim. Sterling call! What a fascinatingly poised fifth Test we have here in Sydney. Australia won the first hour with three quick wickets inside 13 overs but England have bounced back in fine style, adding 113 from 139 balls.

Marnus Labuschagne has just been picked up on the stump mike, observing: “They’re getting off strike a little easy. We’re trying to slow the game down. Pitch seems a fraction slow.” He’s right. Both batters work easy singles as Boland continues to search for his line. He’s 1/40 from his ten overs, unusually profligate stats for the usually miserly Melburnian.

35th over: England 164-3 (Root 51, Brook 52) Starc continues, bowling length to Root and liquorice allsorts to Brooks. They take three singles, one of them off a no-ball.

“Hello,” says Abhishek Chopra. “Excuse me if this has been covered before but what’s the story behind England’s black arm bands in this Test?” It hasn’t been covered before – my fault. It’s in memory of Hugh Morris, who has died of cancer. He played a few Tests for England and captained Glamorgan, but more significantly was a much-loved administrator for both his county and the england and Wales Cricket Board, which he embodied. He it was who appointed Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower, which led to that rare triumph in Australia in 2010-11.

33rd over: England 155-3 (Root 49, Brook 46) QED. Brook gets a bouncer from Starc, can’t resist the swish, hits it upwards and is lucky to find that it lands between two men in the deep-square zone. Just let it go!

32nd over: England 152-3 (Root 48, Brook 44) Brook, facing Neser, starts the over with a glide for four, straight out of the Root playbook, which brings up the 150. Then he plays three forward-defensives in a row, before cutting for a single. He’s two batters in one, a classicist and an iconoclast. I’m not sure he should be anywhere near the captaincy: just let him bat, and bat, and work out how to cope when opposing pacemen try to bomb him out.

31st over: England 147-3 (Root 48, Brook 39) Smith goes even more defensive for Brook, removing all the close catchers bar one (at fly slip) and setting a trap for the hook. He has fallen for that a few times and now he flirts with doom again, aiming a carve over the fly slip, getting a top edge and taking a streaky single. For Root, the field resumes its normal shape – and he plays a handsome off-drive for four.

30th over: England 142-3 (Root 44, Brook 38) Neser continues, strays onto the pads and sees Brook put him away to the rope. That’s only Brook’s third four, whereas Root has six – but it’s at least partly because Steve Smith has spread the field for Brook. The partnership, which only passed 50 in the 24th over, has raced to 85.

29th over: England 137-3 (Root 44, Brook 33) Three singles off Starc’s over. The ex-players are all saying what a good pitch this is. There was plenty of movement this morning, both seam and swing, but it’s hot now, and humid, and the consensus is that these two batters need to cash in while they can.

“Who’s your favourite Waugh?” asks the scoreboard, rather brutally. The crowd are voting and it’s 50-50, then 52-48 to Steve. Depends what you want a Waugh for: Steve to bat for your life, Mark to enhance it with his elegance.

28th over: England 134-3 (Root 43, Brook 31) Root has been dabbing and cutting behind square as if he was batting at Headingley, but now there’s a deep backward point, so he adjusts and cuts a short ball from Boland just in front of square. Four more! Root is now England’s leading scorer in the series with 277 runs, overtaking Crawley (272) – and Brook is not far behind on 263. Among the Aussies, Head and Carey are out in front but the rest are behind those three Poms.

27th over: England 130-3 (Root 39, Brook 31) A tighter over from Starc, just two singles from it. Jason Gillespie is on commentary and he’s not happy with the selection from his old team, who’ve picked five seamers and no spinner. “I’m baffled by it. The reason Australia have picked a spinner at Sydney in every Test since 1888 is because it turns here.”

26th over: England 128-3 (Root 38, Brook 30) Root survives a half-chance for a run-out as Marnus Labuschagne misses with a shy at the stumps, and a shout for LBW (or caught behind?) as he’s beaten by Boland’s nip-backer. But in between, Root plays a glorious cover drive for four and a cut for two.

25th over: England 121-3 (Root 32, Brook 29) England take up wherev they left off before lunch, helping themselves to seven from the first over of Starc’s second spell. Brook, who didn’t face Starc before lunch, plays a confident clip through square leg. Usman Khawaja, playing in his final Test, puts in a strong chase and keeps the ball in, only to find that the batters have run four anyway.

The players are back out there and as yet, there’s no sign of the forecast rain. It’s going to be Mitch Starc, the bowler of the series.

And here’s Paul O’Neill. “Having looked forward to this series for literally years (there’s no fool like an English cricket fan in his 50s), I have consumed a LOT of Ashes content over the past couple of months,” he says. “Particularly in recent weeks, I’ve noticed a pattern from the England camp during interviews that they’ll credit the opposition as a ‘great team’ or ‘difficult to play against’ but always with the rather backhanded qualifier ‘in Australian conditions’.

”This happens too regularly for it just to be a coincidence – trust me, I’ve listened to a LOT of player/staff interviews – so my question is this: is this a sly ploy of deliberate premeditated shade on England’s part (I’m all for that, if so) or just another mantra of the be-where-your-feet-are or run-towards-the-danger variety that everyone in the camp has absorbed unconsciously? And if it is a campaign of co-ordinated messaging, could I suggest maybe ‘leave the ball on length’ or ‘aim for the top of off’ for future series?”

“This morning’s play,” says Andy Moreman, “is a perfect example of the missed opportunities on this tour. Australia playing with three and a half bowlers, get through the first 25 overs and there will be runs for the taking. England unable to apply the discipline required to achieve that.

“With a bit of discipline and better acclimatisation this series was there for the taking. (Thanks for the coverage!)“

It’s our pleasure. Even when England are collapsing.

22nd over: England 96-3 (Root 22, Brook 15) Green bowls a long hop and Root caresses it for four with his signature shot, the silky glide. When Smith signals that he wants another short one, Green goes so short that it’s called a wide. His pace is good, touching 88mph, but when he pitches it up, Root has time to open the face and steer through the covers for two.

21st over: England 87-3 (Root 15, Brook 14) Neser replaces Boland, like for like. The batters take a single apiece. Steve Finn says Neser is trying to hone in on the off stump. Steve, love your work, but it’s home in. Hone means sharpen!

20th over: England 85-3 (Root 14, Brook 13) Green keeps Brook quiet: dot, dot, dot, then a glide past gully for a single. It’s easier to get past gully when Green is bowling, as he’s not there with his ridiculously long reach. Root goes in that direction too, cutting for four. He’s scoring at the same rate as Brook – 60 runs per hundred balls – which is Root’s usual tempo, but not Brook’s.

19th over: England 80-3 (Root 10, Brook 12) Brook, facing Boland, gets two more inside edges, but they’re thick ones, nowhere near the stumps. He calams down a bit, leaving one ball outside off, then another. When he takes a single, Root drives for two, nice and fluently. Twenty minutes till lunch: can these two get there unscathed?

18th over: England 77-3 (Root 8, Brook 11) Smith turns to the first of his two all-rounders, Cameron Green, who starts tidily, restricting each batter to a single.

“Morning Tim, morning everyone,” says Guy Hornsby, writing half an hour ago. “Spending my last day in Australia on my birthday with my twin Dave watching the Sydney Test unfurl in front of us on a warm day in Melbourne. It’s been a winning feeling since I arrived so clearly I need to be out for all five Tests next time. A good toss to win, if we can get through the first session, but Australia are always in the game with this attack. It already feels a bit of a crucial next hour. I was going to say Crawley was playing with circumspection but I didn’t get to hit send. Over to you, Joe.”

17th over: England 75-3 (Root 7, Brook 10) Boland continues and Brook gets another inside edge. Root takes a single. Brook knows a bouncer is coming as square-leg has gone out. He hooks anyway and gets a top edge over the keeper! That’s four, and he adds two more with a more controlled shot into the off side. It’s a funny old ploy, Bazball: the batters keep trying to play as if they’re supremely relaxed, but when they do it at 60-3 they’ve got all their supporters on edge.

16th over: England 67-3 (Root 6, Brook 3) Extra-cover is set deep for Neser, so Brook can take another easy single. Smith could surely be more attacking here – he can afford to let Brook get a quick 20. Alex Carey calls for a helmet and comes up to the stumps, to keep both batters in their crease.

15th over: England 66-3 (Root 6, Brook 2) So, Harry Brook, what mood are you in today? Skittish or super-skittish?

Facing Boland, he dances down the track to his first ball – and then leaves it. To the second, he plays a loose drive and gets an inside edge. It could easily be his downfall, but he escapes down the other end. Boland beats Root on the inside edge and goes up for LBW. Smith thinks about a review before deciding, rightly, that it’s too high. Brook takes a quick single, profiting from the more defensive field that his aggression has induced. There is some method in his madness.

14th over: England 63-3 (Root 6, Brook 0) Root, standing outside his crease, clips Neser for two to get off the mark. This is his 297th Test innings, more than any other Englishman. He tries the cover drive again, which didn’t go well a few minutes ago, but this time he nails it. If the MCC Coaching Book still exists, that shot can go straight into the next edition.

13th over: England 57-3 (Root 0, Brook 0) Bethell, facing Boland, had just shown Root how it was done, gliding for two, then stepping outside off to on-drive for four. “Look at how fast his hands are,” said Graeme Swann. But Boland switched to over the wicket, angled the ball across Bethell and took the edge.

England have lost three wickets for 22 and they have two new batters in. They happen to be the two highest-ranked batters in the world, but they may not feel like it right now.

12th over: England 51-2 (Bethell 4, Root 0) Joe Root starts with a terrible shot, a grandiose drive that connects only with thin air. He’s just turned 35 but that was more reckless than anything we’ve seen today from Bethell, who is 22.

11th over: England 47-1 (Crawley 12, Bethell 4) Starc, sniffing blood, gives Bethell a bouncer and it’s a vicious one. Bethell does the old jack-knife, as if in homage to Robin Smith, and manages to evde it. And then he finally gets off the mark with a cut for four – smoothly timed, very Goweresque.

10th over: England 43-1 (Crawley 12, Bethell 0) Crawley gets another friendly ball from Boland, on the pads, and takes an easy single. Boland stays full to Bethell, who clips to mid-on, then plays and misses for the first time today. To counter the movement, Bethell shuffles across to the off side, which allows him to pick up a leg-bye and get down the other end. Adapting to survive… He’s faced 11 balls without scoring, whereas Duckett hit 27 off 24.

9th over: England 41-1 (Crawley 11, Bethell 0) So, Jacob Bethell, the man who really shouldn’t be at No 3 but looks as if he rather likes it. Half Gower, half Tintin. He glides Starc down into the gully, then plays a solid defensive shot. A leave or two, a push to mid-on, another leave. That’s a maiden, the first one of the morning.

8th over: England 41-1 (Crawley 11, Bethell 0) Crawley had been playing second fiddle to his mate Duckett, but now he drives Boland for four, straight down the ground, and flicks him for two.

Meanwhile, here’s Gary Naylor. “Steve Finn mentioned ‘the radar’ then, as always, referenced as a bowler’s tool,” he says. “But surely it should be in the batters’ hands, because they’re the ones who need to know where the ball is at any given time – which is what radar will tell you. (You can tell it’s the fifth Test can’t you?)“ Ha. It’s still a good point.

7th over: England 35-1 (Crawley 5, Bethell 0) Just when Duckett was looking himself again … He had cut Starc for four, helping himself to his favourite dish, and then clipped him (uppishly) for four more. But Starc has had an immense series and he hit back with a classic outswinger and a classic nick, which produced a fine low catch by Alex Carey.

6th over: England 27-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 19) Steve Smith goes for an early bowling change, replacing the blameless Neser with Scott Boland (perhaps Neser is going to change ends). Boland instantly finds some seam movement and beats Duckett’s outside edge. Crawley then plays no stroke to the nip-backer. Dangerous game … As the ball lodges in his pad, the Aussies discuss a review, but decide against – and they’re right, as HawkEye shows it was too high and too wide.

5th over: England 26-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 18) Duckett gets another freebie from Starc and flicks it for four. Then he plays and misses at a loopy bouncer outside off, but when Starc goes full again Duckett tucks in with an off-drive for four more, following through like Brian Lara. You’d never guess that he’d had a shocker of a series.

After three overs, Mitch Starc has none for 17. But he also has the Ashes in his pocket.

4th over: England 17-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 9) Duckett gets a single off Neser, but Crawley is joining the dots (plus a leg-bye). He’s wary of Neser and And well he may be as Neser is one of seven bowlers in this series who are taking a wicket every 35 balls or better. If they maintained that over a long career, they would be the seven most incisive bowlers of all time. At the moment, the bowler with the all-time best strike rate (min. 200 wickets) is Kagiso Rabada of South Africa, on 39.

3rd over: England 15-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 8) Duckett, facing Starc, plays a nice solid push down the ground for two, followed by a glance for a single. Then Crawley gets a thick edge to a ball that comes back in, but it lands safely enough in the silly-point zone.

No big shots yet, and they’re still going at five an over. Rumours of Bazball’s death may be exaggerated.

2nd over: England 11-0 (Crawley 5, Duckett 5) At the other end it’s Michael Neser, who’s been taking wickets for fun. He nearly has another one as Crawley, squared up, edges into the gap where fourth slip would be if the Aussie captain was Steve Waugh, not Steve Smith.

1st over: England 5-0 (Crawley 1, Duckett 4) Crawley leaves the first ball, which is well wide of his off stump. He defends the second and takes a quick single. No sooner is Duckett is in his sights than Starc hits his straps: a yorker on middle-and-off, just about stabbed out, followed by a length ball and an uncertain prod. Duckett manages a leave, then gets what he wants – a nice half-volley on the pads, which he whips away for the first four of the day.

The Test begins with … a delay. In fact, two: one for a reflection in the crowd, the other for a steward moving behind the bowler’s arm. Proper creekit.

Ready now. It’s going to be Mitch Starc to Zak Crawley.

As the Aussies spread out with pink numbers on their backs, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett stride out to open the innings. On TNT, which had had an even worse series than England, Graeme Swann is at the microphone. “This is where you want someone to do an Alastair Cook,” he says. “To be 35 not out at lunch.” Good luck with that.

“Hello Tim, and happy new year,” says Andrew Benton. Happy new year to you too, and everyone. “Who could replace Brendon McCullum? I do think he should go given his stated aim was to win the Ashes, but who could take over? There seems to be a dearth of suitable candidates. But there seems not to have been much discussion in the media on it in any case. What’s your take?”

I’m not sure! So I went on WhatsApp and asked Tanya Aldred, our queen of the county scene. “Um,” she replied. “Championship winner with three counties Peter Moores?” But she did add a laughing face.

“Might be limited,” Tanya went on, “by who wants to commit because obvs they can all get lucrative franchise gigs. I’d go for Rahul Dravid if they can get him.”

This is the pink Test, with funds being raised for the McGrath Foundation. As the players make their way out there’s plenty of pink in the crowd, adding to the elegance of the faded green stands at the members’ end.

Sydney, by the way, used to be a spinners’ paradise. The all-time top wicket-taker in Tests at the SCG is Shane Warne, with 64 from 14 Tests, and second is his old understudy, Stuart MacGill, with 53 from only eight. It makes you wish England had taken Rehan Ahmed.

This is thought to be the first time Australia have gone into a Sydney Test without a frontline spinner since 1888. And now, as at Melbourne, they will have to bowl last, unless that long batting order of theirs racks up enough runs to win by an innings.

“Long odds,” says Jack Gough, “but… tantalising possibility that Steve Smith gets 5 catches in this Test, Joe Root gets none and Smith then goes to the top of the leaderboard for most Test catches of all time.

”Smith has 11 catches in 3 matches so far and Root has 3 catches in 4 matches. What do you think?”

I think that’s a good spot. The point Stokes made about the bowlers – that Australia’s have been better under pressure – could equally well apply to the slip catching.

“Great pre-amble,” says Tom van der Gucht, sportingly. “It got me thinking whether Labuschagne or Weatherald could do a Pope and Crawley and do just enough to retain their place.” (At the risk of splitting haiirs, I thought Pope had lost his place?) “Cricket is a strangely moral sport whereby you earn your chance, become the next cab off the rank, deserve another shot etc... Bazball has been weirdly anti-Bazball by eschewing county form, yet still hanging onto hunches and giving Pope/Crawley shot after shot based on their feasts and ignoring their famine. Weirdly, Crawley has probably pencilled himself in for the rest of the year based on the paucity of scores from other batsmen. I bet Malan is fuming – never really fitting in or backed in any England regime whilst Crawley seems destined to be picked for the ODI team too.

“One of the pleasures and unique idiosyncracies of the sport I suppose, like looking at how many incredible Aussie batters never got the chance in the test team due to its strength and consistency: Bevan, Hodge, Law, Love... Even Glenn Maxwell... How the hell has he not been backed as a game changer in Tests?

“I should go to bed...”

Ha. To be fair to Crawley, he’s been pretty good against Australia, unlike Pope. His average in the Ashes is 39, the same as Joe Root and Alec Stewart. And his 37 in the run chase at the MCG was worth 75.