Ashes 2025-26 [WATCH]: Australia veteran Usman Khawaja gets a Guard of Honour in his farewell game as emotions run high on Day 5 of Sydney Test

The Ashes 2025-26 series reached a poignant and dramatic conclusion on January 8, 2026, at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). While Australia had already secured the urn, the final day of the fifth Test was heavy with emotion as it marked the international retirement of veteran opener Usman Khawaja. Chasing a tricky target of 160 on a deteriorating surface, Australia overcame a spirited English fightback to secure a five-wicket victory, sealing the series with a definitive 4-1 scoreline. Despite the loss, England found a silver lining in the emergence of young Jacob Bethell, whose marathon second-innings knock ensured the series went down to the final afternoon in Sydney.

A farewell fit for a legend: Usman Khawaja’s guard of honour

The final morning was defined by a touching show of sportsmanship as the England team formed a guard of honor for Usman Khawaja. As the 39-year-old walked out to bat for the last time in his Baggy Green, the SCG erupted in a standing ovation for the local hero. In a career that began on this very ground in 2011, Khawaja’s impact as Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer was acknowledged by captain Ben Stokes, who personally shook his hand before play resumed. Though his final innings was brief, dismissed for six by Josh Tongue after chopping onto his stumps, the veteran left the field to another raucous reception, concluding an 88-Test journey marked by resilience and grace.

Here’s the video:

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Australia’s dominance and England’s grit in the Ashes 2025-26

The series as a whole reflected Australia’s relentless clinical edge, though England’s late-series resurgence prevented a total whitewash. After dominant victories in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, the Australians appeared untouchable before a chaotic, two-day shootout in Melbourne gave England a four-wicket consolation win. The final Test in Sydney encapsulated the shifting dynamics: Joe Root’s first-innings 160 and Jacob Bethell’s heroic 154 in the second innings put Australia under immense pressure. However, the hosts’ depth proved too strong, with Travis Head (Player of the Match for his first-innings 163) and Mitchell Starc (Player of the Series with 31 wickets) consistently seizing the decisive moments.

Earlier, speaking to TNT Sports after Day 4, Sir Alastair Cook had predicted that a target of 160 was ‘defended able’ if England could strike early and remove Travis Head. His prophecy nearly came true as Josh Tongue ripped through the Australian top order on Day 5, reducing the hosts to 92/3 and eventually 121/5. While England did manage to remove Head (29) and Khawaja (6) cheaply, an unbeaten 40-run partnership between Alex Carey and Cameron Green eventually steadied the nerves. Carey hit the winning runs off Will Jacks, ensuring that while the series ended 4-1, the final day in Sydney was a fitting tribute to both a retiring legend and a competitive Ashes summer.

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