England’s batting lineup, which struggled in the first three Tests of the ongoing Ashes series, showed renewed form in the fourth match and carried that momentum into the final Test in Sydney. At the time of reporting, Joe Root and Harry Brook were guiding England toward a strong total, remaining unbeaten with scores of 72 and 78 respectively. England reached 211 for 3 in 45 overs before rain interrupted play at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Earlier, England’s top order faltered again as Zak Crawley (16), Ben Duckett (27), and Jacob Bethell (10) failed to build substantial innings against Australia’s pace attack. Root and Brook then steadied the innings with composed yet aggressive batting, both reaching half-centuries and moving toward centuries.

For Australia, Mitchell Starc, Michael Neser, and Scott Boland each claimed one wicket. The match situation suggests England are in a strong position to post a large first-innings total once play resumes.