Australia's focus shifts from Ashes to WTC points

Australia's focus has shifted from the Ashes to the World Test Championship as the curtain begins to come down on a lopsided home summer.

The Ashes series finale begins at the SCG today, with Cricket Australia's bean-counters desperately hoping to avoid the third two-day Test of the five-match series.

Australia retained the urn by winning the third Test in Adelaide on only the series' 11th day of cricket, with Travis Head, Alex Carey and Mitch Starc starring as the hosts outshone their struggling visitors.

Given last week's MCG loss took a 5-0 whitewash off the table in Sydney, Australia has put full focus on advancing their hopes of a third consecutive appearance in the World Test Championship final.

"For us, we view it as that," said stand-in captain Steve Smith.

"The Ashes were done at 3-0, weren't they? So Test cricket now with the Test Championship, every game is important."

A little more than six months into the WTC cycle, Australia sit atop the standings with six wins from seven Tests, with last week's four-wicket loss the only blight on their record.

But as they plot to atone for their loss to South Africa in the 2025 WTC final, Australia can improve their points percentage to 87.5 with a win in Sydney, well ahead of second-placed New Zealand's (77.78).

"It was disappointing last week to go down," Smith said.

"We were outplayed at the back end of that game so hopefully we can turn it around here, win this series 4-1, and no more importantly I suppose, just win a Test in the Test Championship cycle."

After a busy 2025 that included tours to Sri Lanka, West Indies and the World Test Championship final, Australia will go seven months without a Test match after finishing up in Sydney.

But Usman Khawaja's imminent retirement and a jam-packed 12 months that begins in August will give selectors plenty to ponder before Bangladesh arrives over the winter.

"There's a bit of a break after this before the Bangladesh series, a few Shield games where guys can obviously put their names up there as well," Smith said.

"I think ultimately you probably want a group of players that you can get to and have playing in that cycle to get to the World Test Championship final."

For rival captain Ben Stokes, WTC points are secondary to doing England proud on a tough tour.

"For us, every time you walk out and play for your country, regardless of the opposition, regardless of where a series is at, it's just as important as if the series was at 2-2," he said.

"The main thing for us is winning this game of cricket, and then if we do win it, we get a few World Test Championship points."

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