Steve Smith and Travis Head’s centuries force England onto the backfoot as Australia takes charge on Day 3 of Sydney Ashes Test

Table of Contents

Travis Head and Steve Smith delivered stellar centuries on Day 3 of the 5th Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, guiding Australia to a dominant position. Their resilience and aggressive approach with the bat put England under severe pressure as the hosts built a healthy lead. With Australia reaching 518/7 at the close of play, they led England by 134 runs, giving them a firm grip on the game. The day saw England struggle to break through as both Head and Smith held their ground with determination, leaving the visitors with limited options for a counterattack. Australia’s surge in the third session, powered by these two centuries, put England in a position where they needed to regroup quickly to avoid being overrun.

Head’s blistering knock of 163 (166 balls, 24×4, 1×6) was a masterclass in attacking cricket. His innings featured 24 boundaries and showcased his ability to accelerate the scoring when needed. Head came out with intent and found his rhythm early, dominating the bowlers with flair and composure. His aggressive yet calculated approach meant he was never bogged down, even when the pressure of taking Australia’s innings forward mounted. His partnership with Smith was crucial, and together, they pushed Australia from a solid foundation to a commanding position.

While Head provided the aggression, Smith’s 129 (205 balls, 15×4, 1×6) anchored Australia’s innings, providing the perfect balance. Smith, known for his meticulous technique and unwavering concentration, faced 205 balls and struck 15 boundaries along with one six. His innings was marked by patience and a deep understanding of how to build a long, impactful knock. While others around him lost their wickets, Smith remained resolute and kept the scoreboard ticking. Smith’s calmness, coupled with his ability to rotate the strike and build partnerships, ensured that Australia continued to dictate the flow 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 bowlers, despite their best efforts, were largely ineffective in stopping the flow of runs. The day belonged to Australia’s batters, but England’s attack had plenty to answer for. Ben Stokes, despite his reputation as a match-winner, struggled to find a breakthrough, ending the day with figures of 2/87 from 26 overs.

Similarly, Brydon Carse, who had been effective in previous sessions, ended with figures of 3/108 from 23 overs. The standout performer for England in the series so far was Josh Tongue, who took the crucial wicket of Alex Carey but otherwise failed to trouble the batsmen significantly. With the ball frequently drifting into the hitting zone and the seam movement limited, England’s bowlers found it difficult to create consistent pressure. As a result, they were unable to capitalize on any moments of vulnerability, leaving Australia in the driver’s seat. With their bowling attack now under pressure, England will need a monumental effort to try and restrict Australia’s further progress in the match.

The greatness of Steve Smith in red ball is not his tons or his stats, it's his ability to adapt anyway possible to score runs his fight with himself to find a method to get runs in any conditions is a delight to watch.🏏

— Shantanu Shrivastava (@DaKingInDaNorff) January 6, 2026

Only Don Bradman has more than Steve Smith's 13 Ashes centuries, which feels apt. Smith's status as Australia's best batter since Bradman is hard to dispute.

— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) January 6, 2026

Best batter of this generation.#Smudge https://t.co/pnerz3Zqyj

— CricBlog ✍ (@cric_blog) January 6, 2026

Series-defining ton in the 1st Test, series-sealing ton in the 3rd Test & a series-championing ton in the fifth. All of them in a position where he’d not batted before at home. Best Test batter in the world or not, Travis Head is the most impactful Test batter in the world #Ashes

— Bharat Sundaresan (@beastieboy07) January 5, 2026

Travis Head in middle order 🗿Travis Head as opener 🗿Travis Head in Tests, in ODIs, in T20s 🗿

Head carried Australia in BGT last year, in The Ashes this year. 🥶

— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) January 6, 2026

Travis Head the only bloke to successfully play BazBall this series. He’s everything we hoped Ben Duckett would be opening this series. Worst of all he seems like quite a nice bloke

— TheCricketMen (@thecricketmen) January 5, 2026

England have no full time bowling or fielding coach

This isn't a serious management, as an opposition side you'd hope Key, Mccullum and Stokes continue as a combo #Ashes

— Chatil Panditasekara (@ChatilPandi) January 6, 2026

The top 10 run scorers & wicket takers in this Ashes have all been from England and Australia. This is called dominance 🔥

— Udit (@udit_buch) January 6, 2026

England waste a review on the nightwatchman, and have only one left, with the whole of day three stretching out before them.

— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) January 5, 2026

Also READ: Ricky Ponting selects Australia’s 16-man squad for Ashes 2027; picks two uncapped players