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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
Did England "waste" their chance with the new ball?
Nicholas Quinlan • January 5th, 2026 9:41 pm
Simon Katich has lamented how England used the new ball during Australia’s first innings in the Fifth Ashes Test.
Having started the day batting with a total of 3/211, the visitors, despite a bad start, would continue to keep on scoring with Joe Root amassing his second century for the tour to see them get to a total of 384.
But within the space of a session, Australia has managed to nearly cross the halfway mark as they currently sit on 2/166, which puts them in a great place to have a lead ahead of England’s second innings.
Reflecting on their performance post-game, the former Australian opener felt that England failed to make the most of the tough conditions with the new ball.
“Australia would have been feeling that 384 (runs) was a long way away given the way that second new ball was behaving on this SCG surface,” Katich said on SEN Cricket.
“But the way Travis Head and Jake Weatherald, who had a few nervy moments early on. But the way they got off to a flyer, it just probably calmed the nerves.
“England once again are really lacking that experience in their bowling line-up.
“On a surface that offered a bit with the new ball, they wasted that today.
“And Australia will go to stumps feeling very, very content about being 2/166.”
The Aussies will continue to bat on Tuesday with Travis Head (91) and Michael Neser (1) being the not-out batsmen.
Day 3 of the Fifth Ashes Test gets underway with the first ball being bowled from 10am AEDT.
SEN will have live coverage beginning from 8am AEDT with The New Ball before moving into its pre-game show at 9am.
