‘I’ve been taught a lesson on leading from the front’

Joe Root is honest enough to admit that in defeat he has learned from his opposite number Steve Smith about the importance of leading from the front.

Smith plays on his home ground in Sydney this week having scored 610 runs in the series so far, at an average of 151. Only Don Bradman has scored more runs as a captain in a five-test Ashes series (he did it twice), whereas Root has only shown glimpses of his talent, failing to go on and play a required substantial match-winning innings.

“If anything, you see that and you want to be the one doing it,” said Root about Smith’s form. “He’s probably been the difference between the teams. Take his runs out of it and we’ve been there or thereabouts to win. So credit to the way he’s gone about it, he’s played exceptionally well.

“It’s a little lesson to me on leading from the front and how he’s played different types of innings at different periods of games. I’m disappointed to not go on and make those big scores that as a senior player you pride yourself on doing in big series.”

England have injury concerns, with Chris Woakes sore after the Melbourne Test. He barely bowled yesterday and was due to have a scan today on his left side. It is the second time in six months he has been hit by a side injury. He ripped an abdominal muscle in the opening match of the Champions Trophy in June against Bangladesh at the Oval and was out for more than two months. Woakes has been named in the one-day squad against Australia and was a certain selection for the tour to New Zealand in March.

Mason Crane will play regardless, with either Moeen Ali or Tom Curran missing out depending on how England assess the pitch. Selecting a 20-year-old leg-spinner would normally be a bold choice, but England have run out of options. Moeen looks to be mentally exhausted by his loss of form, which manifested itself in his manic innings at the MCG.

Stuart Macgill, drafted in as a consultant this week, worked with both spinners at the SCG nets yesterday. “We’ll have to look at the wicket and see what the surface is saying, but he’s definitely done all he can to push his case forward,” Root said of Crane.

Root was dropped at Sydney four years ago, the only time he has been left out of an England side, but he bounced back with a double century in his next Test and went on to establish himself as one of the best in the world. “I’m not worried about Mo,” Root said of Ali. “He’s a fine player.”

This is a big game for individuals, with selectors sitting down to pick the squad for the New Zealand Test series, which will be announced at the end of the game.

England

(probable) Cook, Stoneman, Vince, Root (c), Malan, Bairstow (wkt), Moeen, Curran, Broad, Anderson, Crane. Australia (probable) Warner, Bancroft, Khawaja, Smith (c), S Marsh, M Marsh, Paine (wkt), Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon.