An imperious Joe Root hit a magnificent 160 to take England to 384 in the fifth and final Ashes Test on Monday before Travis Head let it rip to bring Australia back into the competition with a brisk unbeaten 91.
Root’s superb innings, his 41st ton to match Ricky Ponting, ended only thanks to a brilliant catch and bowling by Michael Neser, who finished with 4-60.
Australia had to negotiate the final session of the second day at a sold-out Sydney Cricket Ground, which they did for the loss of Jake Weatherald (21) and Marnus Labuschagne (48).
By stumps, the hosts had raced to 166-2 with night watchman Neser alongside Head.
Weatherald, who needed a big score to fend off criticism, has yet to live up to expectations since his debut in the first Test in Perth.
He was dropped twice in the space of three balls, by Root and then Ben Duckett, before Ben Stokes trapped him in weight.
But Head, who like Root slammed two centuries in this series, was in the zone.
He hit three boundaries in Matthew Potts’ second over from the injured Gus Atkinson’s side and there was no respite, bowling a rapid-fire 50 off 55 balls.
Labuschagne was also in good touch, hitting seven boundaries before edging past Stokes to Jacob Bethell at gully.
Australia lead the series 3-1 and have already retained the Ashes, with England desperate for another win after winning the previous Test in Melbourne.
Root joins Ponting
England resumed at 211-3 but lost Harry Brook (84), Stokes (0) and Jamie Smith (46) before lunch.
Will Jacks (27), Brydon Carse (1) and Josh Tongue (0), along with Root, departed in the second session.
The day belonged to Root, who started with 72 and reached a near-luckless century off 146 balls to reaffirm his status as an all-time great.
The 35-year-old had started the series under pressure after failing to make a hundred in Australia in three previous Ashes tours.
He ended the drought with an unbeaten score of 138 in the day-night Test in Brisbane and his exploits in Sydney took him third with Australia’s Ponting on the list of all-time century makers, with 41.
Only India’s Sachin Tendulkar (51) and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis (45) have scored more Test centuries.
Root and Brook found themselves facing struggling England at 57-3 on Sunday, with both eyeing big centuries on an ideal batting deck.
But Brook held out for just five balls on Monday, adding six to his overnight 78 before dabbing a Scott Boland delivery and placing himself in the safe hands of Steve Smith at slip.
That ended a partnership of 169, not only England’s best of the series, but the biggest by either team, surpassing Head and Alex Carey’s 162 in Adelaide.
Stokes survived just 11 balls before giving Mitchell Starc the slightest edge to Carey.
Jamie Smith lived dangerously and was lucky to survive after sending Cameron Green to Labuschagne at cover on 22. He started to move away, but replays showed Green had crossed the line and it was a no-ball.
He added 24 more before medium pacer Labuschagne bowled him in his first over.
The run rate slowed considerably after lunch when the new ball was picked up, but Root persisted, passing 150 for a 17th time, just one behind the legendary Don Bradman and three short of Tendulkar.
He and Jacks put on 52 for the seventh wicket until Jacks sent an edge to Green in the gully off Neser. Root was the ninth man and Tongue followed without any addition to the score.
