Jacob Bethell emphasises that England stays motivated in the Ashes contest following a challenging day

Jacob Bethell still demanded that England was hungry to engage in the Ashes battle, even as it was taken to the edge of a 4-1 loss in Sydney.

The first-innings score of 384 by England was their highest score in Australia since 2018, but it soon became evident that it would never be sufficient as Travis Head and Steve Smith of Australia both notched twin centuries at the SCG.

At the termination of the third evening, the hosts had stacked on an imposing average of 518 in seven- 134 to the lead and much more to come. Smith did not spend 129 away; all-rounder Beau Webster was doing fine, and Mitchell Starc was on the bench.

A small-scale fightback was initiated by Betetell when, on the occasion of his spin, Head on was dismissed on 163, though Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey, and Cameron Green were all dismissed in the process as Smith drove away. 

“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. In 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 throws his weight behind Jacks, whose drop off Head was not the first of a long trail of mishandled opportunities that have pinned us down in England, as against those stock have been to hang on to every chance that had presented itself.

Head has a chance to win the Crompton-Miller Medal of being the player of the series when England made their last visit four years ago, and he is squaring it out with the best wicket-taker, Starc, this time.

He has lived on the strike of an unbelievable purple patch since he scored three centuries and 600 runs at a frenzied 87.59 strike-rate on replacing Khawaja in the first Test as opener.

When asked if he was surprised even at his own success in an unfamiliar position, he replied: “Extremely! I’m not normally the one who’s doing the heavy lifting.

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