Head of Travis and Steve Smith On day 3, the star delivered centuries 5th Ashes Test at Sydney Cricket GroundIt puts Australia in a dominant position. Their resilience and aggressive approach with the bat put England under intense pressure as the hosts took a healthy lead. As Australia reached 518/7 at the close of play, they led England by 134 runs and gave them a firm grip on the game. England struggled to break through on a day with both Head and Smith holding their ground, leaving the visitors with limited options for counter-attacking. Australia’s surge in the third session, fueled by those two centuries, put England in a position where they had to regroup quickly to avoid falling apart.
Travis Head’s unstoppable 163 and Steve Smith’s calm 129 provided stability as Australia dominated.
The header’s 163 (166 balls, 24×4, 1×6) was a masterclass in attacking cricket. His innings featured 24 boundaries and his ability to accelerate the score when needed. Came out with intent and found his rhythm early on, dominating the ruckmen with flair and composure. His aggressive yet calculated approach meant he was never bogged down, even when the pressure mounted to drive Australia’s innings forward. His partnership with Smith was crucial and together they propelled Australia from a solid foundation to a commanding position.
While Head provided the aggression, Smith’s 129 balls (205 balls, 15×4, 1×6) provided the perfect balance, anchoring Australia’s innings. Known for his meticulous technique and unwavering concentration, Smith faced 205 balls and hit 15 boundaries along with a six. His shots were marked by patience and a deep understanding of how to construct a long, effective shot. While others around him were losing wickets, Smith remained determined and kept the scoreboard ticking. Smith’s composure, combined with his ability to rotate the strike and build partnerships, ensured that Australia continued to dictate the course of the match.
Also READ: Ashes 2025-26: Fans go wild as Steve Smith lights up SCG with 37th century in Test cricket
England’s bowling attack is struggling with pressure and inaccuracy
England’s bowlers, despite their best efforts, were largely ineffective in stemming the flow of runs. Today belonged to Australia’s forwards, but England’s attack had a lot to answer for. Ben Stokesdespite being billed as the match-winner, he struggled to find a breakthrough and ended the day with figures of 2/87 from 26.
Likewise, Brydon CarseEnded with figures of 3/108 from 23 overs which had been impressive in previous sessions. He has been the standout performer for England in the series so far Josh Dilwho captured the crucial wicket Alex Carey but otherwise failed to trouble the batsmen significantly. With the ball often drifting into the strike zone and seam movement limited, England’s bowlers struggled to generate consistent pressure. As a result, they failed to exploit any moment of weakness, leaving Australia in the driver’s seat. With their bowling attack now under pressure, England will need a big effort to try and limit Australia’s further progress in the match.
Here’s how the fans reacted:
Steve Smith’s greatness in the red ball is not his tons or his stats, but his adaptability in any situation where he can fight himself to find a way to run in any situation.🏏
— Shantanu Shrivastava (@DaKingInDaNorff) January 6, 2026
Only Don Bradman has more than Steve Smith’s 13 Ashes centuries. Smith’s status as Australia’s best dead man since Bradman is hard to dispute.
— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) January 6, 2026
The best corpse of this generation.#Stain https://t.co/pnerz3Zqyj
— CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog) January 6, 2026
Series-defining pitch in the 1st Test, series-sealing pitch in the 3rd Test and series-champion pitch in the fifth. All of them are in a position where they have not fought before at home. Whether he is the world’s best Test batsman or not, Travis Head is the world’s most influential Test batsman #Ash pic.twitter.com/9ZSkqjLywJ
— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 5, 2026
Travis Head in middle order 🗿
Travis Head as opener 🗿
Travis Head in Tests, ODIs, T20s 🗿Bash carried Australia in the BGT last year and in The Ashes this year. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/4j4tonpNJW
— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) January 6, 2026
Travis Head is the only person to successfully play the BazBall series. He is everything we hoped Ben Duckett would be to open this series. Worst of all, he seems like a really nice guy
— TheCricketMen (@thecricketmen) January 5, 2026
England do not have a full-time bowling or fielding coach
This is not a serious management, as an opposition side you would hope that Key, Mccullum and Stokes will continue as a combination. #Ash
— Chatil Panditasekara (@ChatilPandi) January 6, 2026
The top 10 run-scorers and wicket-takers in this Ashes are all from England and Australia. This is called dominance 🔥
— Udit (@udit_buch) January 6, 2026
England waste the review of the night watch, and only one day remains, three days all lying before them.
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) January 5, 2026
Also READ: Ricky Ponting picks Australia’s 16-man squad for Ashes 2027; chooses two idle players
