Australia vs England 5th Test Updates: The fifth and final Ashes Test between Australia and England witnessed a heartfelt moment ahead of the start of play on the first day as the players of both teams and spectators paid their respects to the Bondi Beach attack victims at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Before a ball was bowled, the iconic venue observed an emotional tribute, honouring both those who lost their lives and the ordinary people who showed extraordinary courage during the unfortunate Bondi attack in December.
During the pre-match ceremony, survivors and first responders were welcomed onto the field through a guard of honour formed by Australian and English cricketers. The sold-out crowd rose to its feet as Ahmed Al Ahmed, one of the heroes of the attack, walked out to a sustained ovation. Still dealing with visible injuries and with his arm in a sling, Ahmed acknowledged the crowd with his hand on his heart, emotional.
Talking about Ahmed, he is a Syrian-born father of two and showed a lot of courage as he helped disarm one of the gunmen during the attack. He was joined by Chaya Dadon, who was shot in the leg while protecting two young children from gunfire. Arriving on crutches, Dadon received the same warm reception at the SCG.
Adding more to the honour and respectful gesture, the names of the 15 victims appeared on the stadium’s big screens beneath the words ‘forever in our hearts’. They were followed by first responders, including intensive care paramedics, doctors from Royal Prince Alfred and St Vincent’s hospitals, lifesavers and local police officers, who all had acted while off duty on the night of the tragedy.
Talking about the match, England opted to bat first and brought in Matthew Potts to replace Gus Atkinson as the only change in their lineup. They reached 211/3 in their first innings on the rain-hit first day. Joe Root (72) and Harry Brook (78) hit fifties and are still at the crease, having stitched an unbeaten partnership of 154 runs for the fourth wicket.
Australia vs England Playing XIs, Ashes 2025 5th Test:
Australia: Travis Head, Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (C), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey (WK), Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Michael Neser, Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (C), Jamie Smith (WK), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue