Just two wickets for England as Khawaja and Marsh cash in...
Sunday 7 January 2018 00:11, UK
Mason Crane belatedly claimed his maiden Test wicket as Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh made England toil at the SCG... here's all you need to know from day three of the fifth Test.
SCORECARD | ASHES 2017/18 HOMEPAGE
Superb knocks from Usman Khawaja and Shaun Marsh saw Australia build a lead of 133 as England endured another difficult day at the SCG.
There have been few highlights for England in Sydney but the performance of debutant leg-spinner Mason Crane would have to rank as one of them, his figures of 1-135 from 39 overs telling only a small part of the story.
The 20-year-old looked dangerous, finding sharp turn on occasion, but his luck was out for much of the day. However, he only had himself to blame as he was denied a maiden Test wicket just before lunch.
England reviewed the 'not out' decision after Crane turned the ball back into the left-handed Khawaja and struck him on the pad in the over after Moeen Ali had removed Steve Smith.
Ball-tracking showed the ball was hitting the top of middle but the review never got that far as replays showed the spinner had overstepped.
Crane would eventually get his man but, rather than two wickets in as many overs, England had to wait another two hours to claim their fourth wicket.
Australia centurion Usman Khawaja on Crane's no-ball, the Marsh brothers and Steve Smith's advice: "I thought [the lbw decision] was fairly close and when I saw the no-ball, I thought, 'happy days!'
"It's great from a team aspect and obviously a team-mate and a mate's aspect - both Marshes have copped a lot of slack of the last couple of years, Shaun probably for even longer.
"To see them go out there and play really well, play the way we know they can is really rewarding to see. It couldn't happen to greater blokes, the whole family is so nice.
"[Smith] was just telling me to enjoy it. I think he knows when you get a hundred you're really excited, you want to do a lot of things, your heart is pumping and everything is going.
He was just letting me know to calm down, keep going and get my head back down after everything was done."
England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow on a long day in the field: "We're out there and we're very proud to be doing what we're doing.
"It's almost like a badge of honour and, personally, I take pride in being at the same energy level as I am at the first ball when it comes to the last - how many times do you see that in the last over there is a nick?
"There is a chance to take an opportunity in the dying overs of any day's play and we know how much it can impact on the game.
"I thought the way the two spinners bowled was outstanding. There have been a lot of questions about Mo on this trip and I thought the way he bowled, with a bit of assistance from the pitch, was outstanding."
Usman Khawaja became just the sixth player to have made a Test score of at least 120 at each of Australia's five main grounds. The others are Ricky Ponting (lowest score 196), David Boon (131), Matthew Hayden (123), David Warner (122) and Justin Langer (121).
The SCG was a sea of pink on Jane McGrath Day in Sydney...
Crane caused the Aussie batsmen more problems than most but was rewarded with only one wicket...
The way DRS is implemented came under scrutiny after Mitch Marsh was correctly reprieved - but for the wrong reason - late in the day...
Steve Smith missed out on a century but Australia showed they are no one-man team as they made England suffer...
