England opener Zak Crawley remarked that the side's batters will continue to try and pressurize the opposing Australian bowlers during the fifth and final Ashes Test. England had put an end to an almost 15-year drought for a Test win in Australia in the previous game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). They finally managed to win a Test Down Under after 5,468 days and also successfully avoided a series whitewash by doing so.
England looking to target Murphy
With both the teams yet to name their playing XIs for the Sydney Test, Crawley believes that one of the bowlers that the England batters will go after in the match is spinner Todd Murphy. The latter has been included in the Baggy Greens' 15-member squad for the final match and last made an appearance in the longest format in February, 2025. However, Crawley also said that it can be very risky for them to attack the spinner if the pitch provides him with the turn.
“Whoever plays, I think that’s the mantra of our team, which is to try and put pressure on people. Todd’s a very good bowler, but I can envisage us trying to put some pressure on him, like we would all their bowlers. That’s going to come with some risks, and if it’s turning it’s definitely going to be a threat,” Crawley said ahead of the fifth Test.
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Crawley further highlighted how important it is for the Three Lions to end the series on a positive note and what it would mean for them if they come out on top in Sydney.
“I think there’s a big difference just internally in the group. It just shows a lot about our group and how united we are if we can get a win. It [the series] might not go our way, but if we can put in a good performance this week I think it shows a lot about us,” he added.
Crawley's solid performance in the Ashes
The 27-year-old has been one of the top performers with the bat in the ongoing Ashes series and is currently the third-highest run-getter with 256 runs from eight innings. He has registered two half-centuries in the assignment so far including a well-played 76 in Brisbane and a robust 85 in Adelaide. It remains to be seen if he will be able to deliver in the final Test as well.
England's playing XII for 5th Ashes Test: Ben Stokes (C), Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (WK), Josh Tongue.
Australia's squad for 5th Ashes Test: Steve Smith (C), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (WK), Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster