Jacob Bethell insists England remain driven in Ashes battle after punishing day

Jacob Bethell insisted England still had an appetite for the Ashes fight despite being pushed to the brink of a 4-1 defeat on a punishing day in Sydney.

England’s first-innings score of 384 was their biggest Down Under since 2017, but it soon became clear it was never going to be enough as Australia’s Travis Head and Steve Smith peeled off twin hundreds at the SCG.

By the end of the third evening, the hosts had piled on a towering total of 518 for seven – 134 ahead with plenty of power to add. Smith was not out on 129 overnight, with all-rounder Beau Webster going well and Mitchell Starc waiting in the wings.

There were moments when it looked like Ben Stokes’ side were out of ideas, out of inspiration and out of time – not least when Will Jacks spilled a gimme catch on the midwicket boundary to gift Head a life.

That was a fresh addition to the lowlights reel of a troubled tour and came in a demoralising morning session that included the solitary consolation wicket of nightwatcher Michael Neser, three more half-chances going to ground and two wasted reviews.

Bethell kicked off a minor fightback when his occasional spin did for Head on 163, with Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey and Cameron Green all dismissed as Smith motored on.

The 22-year-old was a late arrival in the series, replacing Ollie Pope in Melbourne last week, but backed those who are on the last leg of a draining two-month journey to battle until the end.

“This is proper Test cricket now,” he said.

“In terms of the graft you have to put in, it was a tough day, but that’s what it’s about. Everyone’s still very driven to leave Australia (at) 3-2. That’s the main thing that’s keeping everyone fighting hard.

“I think all the guys that have played the full five Test matches will be tired, mentally and physically, but that’s what comes with a five-match series. Any Ashes Test match, you want to go out there and put your best foot forward.

“They’ll be tired but the guys have done it before and they know how to deal with it.”

Bethell thew his support behind Jacks, whose fumble off Head was the latest in a lengthy list of bungled chances that have weighed England down against opponents who have held on to almost everything that has come their way.

“We had to pick some of the boys up and help them along for a bit… but I can’t see him dwelling on it too much,” he said.

“We just said, ‘Hard luck mate, everybody drops them’. I don’t think he’ll take it to heart. I thought he bowled very well afterwards and I imagine he’s going to bat very well in the second innings as well. He’s a confident guy.”

Head won the Compton-Miller Medal for player of the series when England last visited four years ago and is in a straight battle with leading wicket-taker Starc for the same honour this time.

Since moving up to opener in place of the injured Khawaja in the first Test, he has tapped into an astonishing purple patch with three centuries and 600 runs at a rampant strike-rate of 87.59.

Asked if his success in an unfamiliar role was a surprise even to him, he said: “Extremely! I’m not normally the one that’s doing the heavy lifting.

“I would have liked to have thought I was good enough to be able to have a series like I have, but to go out and do it and be as consistent as I have been is very pleasing.”