Khawaja's farewell Test to witness England's last battle

England's final practice session of the Ashes tour concluded on Saturday at approximately 3:15 pm. Jacob Bethell was the last batsman to face assistant coach Jeetan Patel's throwdowns before heading towards the historic SCG pavilion, followed by England's leadership group.
Captain Ben Stokes, coach Brendon McCullum, and cricket director Rob Key - the trio who came together over three and a half years ago to revive English cricket and make the Ashes campaign memorable - were engaged in conversation as they walked out of the field on the eve of the fifth and final Test. There was a serene atmosphere among them, as is often seen in this group, and some smiles as well. It was only natural. After two disappointing months in Australia, whatever positives are possible, there are five days to achieve them. There was no use looking back. This was a campaign in which they never looked like retaining the Ashes. The Ashes are gone. The dream is over.
And while Stokes has been talking about staying in the present, focusing on the Sydney Test, it is unlikely that English cricket's top officials are not already deeply analyzing what has happened in this headline-grabbing tour. England's captain is right that the next few days in Sydney are crucial in determining how this ill-fated tour will be viewed in years to come.
Because a 3-2 scoreline feels far better than 4-1. Firstly, it would mean that this team has won twice as many matches as any English team in the last 15 years and ended the long drought in Melbourne last week. It would also show that when it mattered most, the visiting team was closer than they seemed. It would also mean that they have possibly won a Test where the players are focused on more than the pitch makers.
All this is happening as Australia, after being shaken at the MCG, is trying to get back on track in terms of World Test Championship points. Now that they have made it clear that their Ashes campaign was effectively over after taking a 3-0 lead in Adelaide.
It is also a special Test as Australia's one of the greatest players, Usman Khawaja, is ending his international career. It is at his old home ground, as he grew up just a stone's throw away from the SCG - in front of family, friends, and his old domestic fans. He is bowing out in the manner he would have wanted. His career has come full circle, almost 15 years to the day since he first batted in an Ashes Test on this ground.
Rain is predicted for the first two days of the Test, as is often the case, but the weather is unlikely to have as much of an impact on how quickly the Test will finish as the pitch will.
With Australia focusing unusually on the pitch, Australia has taken until the morning of the first day to finalize their team. Captain Steven Smith has kept all options open, including Cameron Green, who is likely to play, and Beau Webster as an all-rounder.
Australia's possible eleven: Travis Head, Jack Worrall, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey (wicketkeeper), Cameron Green, Beau Webster/Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson/Michael Neser, Scott Boland.
England eleven: Jack Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue, and Saqib Mahmood/Shane Bashir.