Travis Head and Steve Smith dominated Day 3 of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, propelling Australia to a commanding position against England. Head's aggressive century, his third of the series, and Smith's masterful ton, his first in this Ashes series, allowed Australia to establish a significant 134-run lead by the end of the day. Australia finished the day at 518/7, responding to England's first innings total of 384.
Australia resumed their innings on Tuesday at 166/2, with Head at 91 and Michael Neser at 1. Head quickly reached his century from 105 balls, becoming the first Australian opener since Matthew Hayden in 2002-03 to score three centuries in an Ashes series. Neser provided valuable support with a resilient 24, as the duo added 68 runs to the total before Neser was caught behind off Brydon Carse's bowling.
Head continued his onslaught, eventually falling for a brilliant 163 after being trapped LBW by Jacob Bethell. His innings included 17 boundaries and was a key factor in Australia's strong response. Smith then took charge, anchoring the innings and building crucial partnerships with the middle order.
Smith shared a 51-run partnership with Usman Khawaja, a 27-run stand with Alex Carey, and a 61-run partnership with Cameron Green. Green was dismissed for 37, caught trying to pull a short ball from Carse. Smith reached his century from 166 balls, with 11 fours and a six. This was Smith's 37th Test century, his 13th in Ashes tests, and his fifth at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
At stumps, Smith remained unbeaten on 129, with Beau Webster alongside him at the crease on 42. The pair had already put on an 81-run partnership for the eighth wicket, further extending Australia's lead.
Brydon Carse was the pick of the English bowlers, taking three wickets. Josh Tongue and Jacob Bethell each managed to take a wicket. However, the English bowlers faced a challenging day on a pitch that offered some variable bounce.
Speaking after the day's play, Smith said that it felt nice batting on a good wicket and building partnerships. He added that the focus was now on extending the lead past 200 runs. The game has swung massively in Australia's favor over the last five sessions, placing significant pressure on England to trigger an early collapse on Day 4 to regain some lost momentum.
