Ashes 2017/18, 5th Test, Day 4: 5 things we learnt from the day

Nathan Lyon sent England into waves of shock with two crucial wickets before the end of day 4 at Sydney. Joe Root's men still trail the hosts by 210 runs at stumps and are four down with an innings defeat appearing more and more a realistic possibility. The captain's defiant 42, however, saved England a few blushes.

Earlier, the Marsh brothers hit beautiful centuries- second of the series for both of them - as Australia racked up a mammoth 649 before declaring and putting England in to bat.

Mitchell Starc immediately sent Mark Stoneman back for a duck before Nathan Lyon ripped one past Alastair Cook and then had Malan trapped in front to reduce them to 4 down. Root and Bairstow stood firm till the end of the day for England.

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#5 Mitchell Marsh makes it two

Marsh was in blistering form with the bat in the series

What a series the Marsh brothers are having! Recalled into the Test side amidst scything criticism from all quarters, Mitchell Marsh had the strong backing of Justin Langer, his coach at Perth, who even identified the all-rounder as a future leader. Many would have scoffed at the mere thought of that, but the end of this series not many are questioning his place in the side. anymore

The seam bowling all-rounder has improved with the bat by leaps and bounds and his technique and confidence are there for everyone to see. Despite his natural style of attack taking over every now and then, Marsh was confident enough to grind out a hundred, his second in the series, in a beauty of a batting pitch at SCG.

#4 Shaun Marsh is here to stay

The Marsh brothers had fun on day 4, putting on a 169 run stand

Like his brother, Shaun Marsh, as well as the selectors, received immense criticism when the southpaw was recalled to the Test squad ahead of a slew of younger names. However, the left-hander has thwarted all notions in this series with two glorious hundreds.

At 34, this was probably Marsh's last chance to make an impact in whites and he made it count.

With all of Australia's top-order (except Cameron Bancroft) making 50 or more, Marsh knew that all he had to do was watch every ball and play it on its merit. He did that pompously and by lunch on day 4, the elder Marsh was batting on 145.

He put on a century stand with his brother and looked set for a double-hundred, but was dismissed before that could happen. He was run-out after crossing 150 while attempting a non-existent run.

#3 Australia compile daunting score

Australia look all set to take a 4-0 lead in the series

Spurred on by hundreds from Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh, Australia registered a daunting 649 before declaring and putting England in to bat. Stats guy, Andy Zaltsman pointed out that it was the sixth time England had conceded 600 or more in an overseas Test innings since 2016 January. Interestingly, they had conceded 600+ only five times between 1955 and 2003.

The stat shows how abysmal England have been on overseas Tests of late. They let Australia bat on and on, with five of their top six making scores of 50 or more and three of them converting them into hundreds. Stuart Broad, expected to be their strike force on this tour, went at four an over in the innings, which alone underlines that England have been woeful.

#2 Alastair Cook can't make his reprieve count

Cook had smashed a double hundred in the previous Test

Coming off the back of a double hundred, Alastair Cook appeared rather edgy from the word go. Perhaps the return of Mitchell Starc played a role. Whatever it was, the former England skipper looked fidgety and none of his assured feet movement in the previous Test was evident here today.

In the first ball of the fourth over, he edged Josh Hazlewood to the cordon where Shaun Marsh was late to react to the chance. The chance was shelled and it seemed like it was the reprieve Cook needed to get going. But that was not to be as Nathan Lyon struck in just his fifth ball, cleaning up Cook with a peach of a delivery.

In his short duration at the crease, the left-hander completed 12,000 Test runs.

#1 Root stands tall but England wither away

Joe Root appeared in ominous touch yet again but can he convert it?

Root once again appeared a forlorn figure in England's batting line-up as Lyon wrecked havoc on a turning SCG wicket. Cook was cleaned up by a brute of a delivery while Dawid Malan fell lbw to Lyon's wile. It wasn't soon before Root had to go into a shell to salvage England's innings.

At one stage it looked clearly plausible that England would be bowled out on day 4, but Root held the fort while Bairstow played out the tense, final moments of the day. The duo played out 74 balls late in the day but it looks rather likely that England would fold tomorrow if Root can't survive throughout the day.