Ashes 2026 live updates: Usman Khawaja batting in last Test after Travis Head out for 163 on day three at SCG, Jane McGrath Day

His pace is a little down, starting at 132.8kph. Cameron Green lets it go outside off.

Smith gets off strike as he works off his hip.

Green is defending and, this will shock you, he looks a little scratchy.

Four! Beautiful drive through cover for four. Of course that back foot is moving as he hits it, as it always is, but he’s middled that one.

And a good bit of strike rotation as he pushes to a deep mid-off.

He’s under pressure in a big way.

And off the mark with a single off his hip.

One more for Smith, pushed through point. This 63 is his highest score of the series, eclipsing his 61 in the first dig at the Gabba.

There’s a half a shout as Green paws at one going past his hip, but the sound was a red herring. Nothing on it.

He’s wandered straight into the leg slip plan as Josh Tongue spears down the leg side and Carey just clips it directly to Jacob Bethell.

That’s now three times in his past three Tests that he’s been out caught at leg slip.

Players in bright bibs emerge from both dugouts with drinks for their teammates. No, it’s not a drinks break. Yes, there are only 19 minutes to tea.

Another delay as Steve Smith complains that someone is walking around up in the corporates and none of the people around her are paying enough attention to tell her to sit down.

Four! Smith crushes a cover drive to the rope as Jamie Smith comes up to the stumps behind him. Who does he think he is? Alex Carey?

Smith leaves outside off and the ball really seams back in sharply. Well taken by Jamie Smith behind the stumps.

Potts gets one to stay low and that was perilously close to the off stump if Smith hadn’t dropped the bat on it.

Smashed away! You can’t be giving Steve Smith balls to cut in just the eighth over with this ball. It gets what it deserves.

Carey is facing up on 15 off seven balls.

He gets up the other end as Tongue angles in at him and the ball drops to the leg side for a tight single.

Smith plays a full-blooded drive but doesn’t get all of it and takes a single as Stokes misfields after the ball pops up awkwardly off the edge of the wicket block.

Another very tidy drive from Carey, but too straight and easily stopped at mid-on.

England goes up for caught behind as a ball seams back dramatically and flicks Carey’s back pocket.

He looks so much more dangerous when he’s getting it up there.

Smith gets off strike with a single.

Four! Too much width again and that’s too easy for Carey to crush through cover.

BANG! He goes back to back, leaning back and drilling another one straight although a little uppishly past mid-on.

That takes Carey beyond 300 runs for the series.

The leg slip is in place.

A lovely drive from Carey, this time sending a half-volley back from whence it came and giving Ben Stokes another brutal chase down the ground. He gets there just in time to keep it to three.

The Aussies will be hoping as much, because it means either an innings victory or a successful run chase for the fall of fewer than three wickets.

Beaten! Matthew Potts seams one past the outside edge of Steve Smith as he straightens up.

OK. Steve Smith is taking issue with the reflection off the sunglasses of Brydon Carse at mid-off.

“Carsey, can you just turn your sunglasses around?” Smith asks.

And he does it!

I must say, I reckon I’d be leaving them right where they were if I was him. It’s not like he’s shining a laser in his eyes or something. He’s allowed to have his sunnies on top of the peak of his cap.

Smith drives through cover and takes a single as the diving Zak Crawley can only slow it down.

A big LBW shout straight away, but this time the in-swinger is doing too much and starting on the wrong line.

Four! A disappointing release from Carse, giving Alex Carey the width to crush one through cover off the back foot.

Carse fires in another in-swinging full ball and cannons into the ankle of Khawaja on the full.

Ahsan Raza raises the finger and Khawaja reviews, but I must say that’s a shocking review. Absolutely plumb LBW, hitting the bottom third of middle and leg.

He must have known he didn’t edge that; maybe a bit of a lifetime achievement review.

He walks off the ground to a mighty ovation for potentially the last time.

Ouch. Khawaja tries to hook away and lets out a loud “Oof” as he bottom edges into his guts.

Two more for Khawaja as drives through wide mid-on.

Carse goes for the wicket-taking ball. A gorgeous full in-swinger that Khawaja clips away for none.

He’s staying outside off and Khawaja is in no hurry to chase it.

Potts angled in to the pads of Khawaja, and that’s the shot he’s waiting for, clipping away for one to deep backward square.

The Aussies aren’t facing the sort of fire England did when Starc and Boland took the second new ball yesterday.

Four more for Steve Smith to reach 50 for the 81st time in Tests.

Straight down the ground and that’s a glorious boundary for Smith to notch the milestone off 95 balls.

He starts with a full toss outside off and Smith chunks it back down the ground.

Four! Full, wide and swinging away, and Smith just drops the bat on it to send the ball racing through point.

He’s operating outside off and Smith is following wide ones with his hands.

There’s an outside edge calling if it seams or swings a little more than Smith expects.

Both Smith and Khawaja have been Test openers, so are equipped to handle the new ball and this period will go a long way to deciding this game.

First ball is behind a good length and Khawaja defends on the hop to cover.

Lovely bowling from Potts. Full, angling in and seaming down the pitch to beat Khawaja’s outside edge and hit his thigh pad.

Khawaja lets out a groan as he tries to leave a ball and it pops up to hit him on the gloves. He gets lucky as the ball goes harmlessly down into the grass.

Now he’s angling in and hitting the pads of a jumpy Khawaja. That’s too high, so the LBW shout is ignored, but still promising signs from Potts after some rough spells in this innings.

Four. Gorgeous, laconic, graceful, effortless, perfect. Classic off drive from Usman Khawaja, just caressed to the rope.

Both teams appear to in a holding pattern before the opening bowlers return, but the batters in particularly can’t allow themselves to start thinking about the next over, because they need to get through this one from Will Jacks first.

Smith defends the opener to the leg side to start. Then finds a single with a gentle clip off the pads through square leg.

Khawaja works behind square and takes off for a single, but Smith sends him back. So Usman works the next one through the gap in front of square into the deep.

Smith makes it through and the new ball is available.

Streaky! Khawaja is squared up and edging! But he played it with soft hands and the ball bounces in front of second slip. It isn’t gathered cleanly by the fielder and the ball races down to the boundary.

He’s looked a touch nervous so far, has Usman Khawaja.

But he’s made his way to nine and survived 29 deliveries.

Khawaja whips one off the stumps but can’t beat mid wicket. No run.

Two slips and a gully in place as Stokes charges in from around the wicket once more. Khawaja is forward and defending.

And Khawaja is shouldering arms to conclude the over.

That will be drinks. Jon Healy will take you to tea.