England 194/3 in 41.2 overs | Australia vs England 5th Ashes Test Live Score: Joe Root and Harry Brook frustrate Australia with 100-run partnership

Australia vs England 5th Ashes Test Live Cricket Score: Joe Root and Harry Brook staged a steady recovery after England lost three wickets in a torrid opening session of the fifth and final Ashes Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday. At lunch, Root was unbeaten on 31 and Brook on 23 as England reached 114 for 3 after electing to bat in front of a sell-out crowd.

England’s top order struggled early, with Ben Duckett (27), Zak Crawley (16) and Jacob Bethell (10) all sent off. Mitchell Starc, Michael Neser and Scott Boland shared the wickets for Australia.

The visitors came into the match strengthened by a four-wicket victory in two days in the previous Test in Melbourne, keen to continue their momentum. The victory ended a 15-year drought in Australia, but came too late to save the series, with the hosts having already retained the urn thanks to victories in Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide.

Australia sprung a selection surprise by giving an opportunity to all-rounder Beau Webster in place of fast bowler Jhye Richardson, while off-spinner Todd Murphy was left out. It was the first time in almost 140 years that Australia fielded a team without a specialist spinner in a Sydney Test.

England, meanwhile, made just one change, bringing on seamer Matthew Potts to replace the injured Gus Atkinson.

Duckett looked fluent early on, hitting five boundaries against Starc in a quick 27 off 24 balls. However, Starc had the last laugh, causing an outside edge with an angled delivery which wicketkeeper Alex Carey collected at full stretch – the fifth time the left-armer has dismissed Duckett in the series.

Crawley soon followed, trapped perpendicularly by Neser. Although he revised the decision, it was still heading towards dismissal, leaving England 51 for 2 at the first drinks break.

Bethell endured a cagey stay, bowling 15 deliveries to score his first run and never looking settled. He was dismissed for 10 after prodding a moving ball from Boland, slightly edging Carey as England slipped to 57 for 3.

Root then joined Brook and the pair rallied to guide England safely to the interval, adding an unbroken 57-run stand to stabilize the innings.

The day began with a tribute to first responders after the recent Bondi mass shooting that left 15 people dead, drawing loud applause when hero Ahmed Al Ahmed – who confronted one of the attackers – was recognised.