Aussies pull 138-year first as England bat in Ashes finale

Australia have pulled an unprecedented selection move for the final Ashes Test, leaving out their frontline spinner Todd Murphy and instead picking Beau Webster for his first match of the summer in Sydney.

Not since 1888, when cricket was completely unrecognisable to the professional game it is today, have the Aussies neglected to play a frontline slow bowler for a Test at the SCG, once considered this country's spin haven.

But, with England winning the toss and electing to bat first on a green-tinged pitch on Sunday morning, Steve Smith confirmed they had defied almost 140 years of standard practice and left out Murphy for the NRMA Insurance series finale.

Australia XI: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland

 

England XI: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue

Allrounder Webster instead won the final spot in the XI, replacing Jhye Richardson as the only change from the Australian team that lost by four wickets in Melbourne. It gives the home side five pace options, though Webster can also bowl useful off-spin.

Smith insisted it gave him no pleasure to leave out Murphy but the surface had given selectors no choice.

"Hate doing it," he said at the toss. "But if we keep producing wickets that we don't think are going to spin and seam is going to play a big part and cracks are going to play a big part, you kind of get pushed into a corner."

Webster had been an unfortunate casualty of Cameron Green resuming bowling this summer having performed strongly through his first seven Tests after debuting at this ground against India last year.

Richardson meanwhile had been something of a free swing for Australia in Melbourne. Coach Andrew McDonald suggested his selection after years of shoulder problems was contingent on him being the fourth member of the pace attack.

But the absence of a spinner shapes as the major selection talking point. Smith had gone into further detail after Australia also played four quicks in Melbourne as to why they, regrettably, did not play a spinner.

"With a lot of the wickets we're playing on now, I think spin ... is the easiest thing to face," he said after the two-day Test at the MCG.

"On some of these wickets that are offering a lot of seam, it's almost got to the point where (you ask), 'Why would you bowl it when you know you could leak 30 or 40 runs quickly if they decide to play positively and the game shifts immediately?'

"We've seen, obviously, at Perth Stadium, we barely bowled spin. We didn't bowl a spinner in the pink ball Test. And last week (in Adelaide) was obviously a different one (because) it was quite a dry surface and offered some rough. It was a nice wicket.

"And then this one, yes, spin didn't look like getting a chance to bowl. So I don't know whether it's something that can be spoken about. I love seeing spinners play a part in the game, but right now, why would you?"

Here they have elected to deepen their batting line-up in the expectation this surface offers plenty to the seamers. Michael Neser has been listed at nine and Mitchell Starc, with two half-centuries this series, at 10.

England also neglected to recall their frontline spinner for a fifth straight game, meaning Shoaib Bashir will return home having not played a single Test down under.

The visitors' only change sees Matthew Potts make his Ashes debut as a replacement for the injured Gus Atkinson.

"We felt getting that extra seamer was important for us," said Stokes.

"Pottsy's been out here working incredibly hard. He's a competitor. He's been around the group for a long time now. It's great to see him get an opportunity on the big stage in an Ashes test match. Really looking forward to seeing how he goes.

"The week we had in Melbourne was amazing. To get that win out here in Australia for the first time in a while was special, hopefully we can continue that momentum into this game in Sydney."

2025-26 NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes

First Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Second Test: Australia won by eight wickets

Third Test: Australia won by 82 runs

Fourth Test: England won by four wickets

Fifth Test: January 4-8: SCG, Sydney, 10:30am AEDT

Australia squad (fifth Test): Steve Smith (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster

England squad: Ben Stokes (c), Harry Brook (vc), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wk), Josh Tongue