Australia won the final Ashes Test against England on Thursday by five wickets to claim a dominant 4-1 victory after a grueling series, propelling retired Usman Khawaja on a high note.
The nervous hosts saw wickets collapse as they chased their target of 160, which they achieved after lunch on day five with Cameron Green not out on 22 and Alex Carey on 16.
“It’s Ashes cricket. Everyone was tense,” said Carey who hit the winning runs.
“We will miss Usman. A great career and a great way to end it.”
Australia lost openers Travis Head (29) and Jake Weatherald (34), as well as captain Steve Smith (12) and Khawaja who scored six in his last over before retiring.
“It means a lot. There’s so much that went into it. The only thing I wanted was a win, as much as I wanted to score the winning runs,” said Khawaja, who was almost in tears as he walked to a standing ovation after being bowled by Josh Tongue.
“During the entire Test match, I found it difficult to control my emotions,” Khawaja added after his 88th and final appearance on the Test stage.
“I’m grateful to have had the career I’ve had. I have all my gratitude,” he said, adding that Australia was relieved to have crossed the winning line.
“It really got a little too tight. You never count your chickens. But we got the job done.”
Marnus Labuschagne, dropped at 20, made 37 before running out needlessly to give Ben Stokes’ men a glimmer of hope as they reduced Australia to 121-5.
But victory was never in serious doubt after England were dismissed for 342 on the back of Jacob Bethell’s elegant 154.
Horror show in England
The defeat ended a long tour for the visitors which quickly turned into a horror show when they lost the first two Tests in Perth and Brisbane by eight wickets and the third in Adelaide by 82 runs.
Stokes’ side had arrived confident of winning their first series in Australia since 2010-11, amid taunts that the hosts had their worst team in 15 years.
Facing heavy criticism over their preparations, discipline and ultra-aggressive “Bazball” style of cricket, they rallied to claim a stunning four-wicket victory in the fourth Test in Melbourne.
It was their first victory in 18 Tests on Australian soil and restored some pride, but another defeat in Sydney, albeit a close one, will see them face a tough inquisition when they return home with coach Brendon McCullum’s job on the line.
Australia achieved their success despite missing spearhead Josh Hazlewood for the series and Pat Cummins for all but one Test, while veteran spinner Nathan Lyon played a limited role.
Nearly 860,000 fans watched the series, with a record 211,032 passing the Sydney turnstiles.
Tempers are heating up
Tempers flared earlier when Weatherald survived a criticism for being caught late on the 16th despite Snicko’s controversial technology, which has been unreliable in all series, appearing to indicate a slight whisper.
An angry Carse had to be stopped from complaining to the on-field umpire by Stokes and the bowler exchanged heated words with Weatherald.
England finally got their reward when Head slipped Tongue to Carse at mid-wicket and Weatherland edged the same bowler to Matthew Potts.
Smith was bamboozled by a spinning ball from spinner Will Jacks and Khawaja, having received a guard of honor from England when he got out for the last time, continued to play.
England recovered to 302-8 with a 119-run advantage and added 40 more.
Precocious number three Bethell, touted as the future of English cricket, completed 142 while Potts was yet to score.
He reached 150 before edged Mitchell Starc to wicketkeeper Carey to end a decisive innings, with his marathon stay of 265 balls, including 15 fours.
Tongue was the last man eliminated for six years, again against Starc, with Potts unbeaten on 18.
It was Starc’s 31st wicket of the series, more than any other bowler.
Australia were all out for 567 in their first innings on Wednesday, following centuries from Head and Smith in response to the tourists’ 384, built on Joe Root’s 160.
