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Ashes PHOTOS: Smith, Haddin haunt England
Australia recovered on the back of a Steve Smith home-town century and more Brad Haddin batting heroics to put reeling England on the rack again in the final Sydney Ashes Test on Friday as Sydney Cricket Ground bathed in summer sunshine
Smith and Haddin rescued the home team with a 128-run sixth-wicket stand before the latter went for his sixth score over 50 in the series and Smith was last man out for 115.
Australia were all out for 326 late in the day, after which England lost the wicket of Michael Carberry for a duck to reach stumps at 8 for 1 with Cook on 7 and night-watchman Jimmy Anderson on 1.
Brad Haddin rescues Australia
Brad Haddin once again rescued Australia with a quickfire 59 to help drag his side from 97 for 5 just after lunch to 201 without further loss at tea.
As he did in all four previous Tests when his team was in similarly precarious positions, Haddin came out oozing positivity and took the game to the bowlers with a barrage of aggressive strokes.
Stokes strikes for England
Earlier, England struck twice in the 15 minutes before lunch to reduce Australia to 94 for 4 after skipper Alastair Cook won the toss for the first time in the series.
Ben Stokes dismissed opener Chris Rogers (11) and skipper Michael Clarke (10) and in the final over of the morning James Anderson trapped Shane Watson leg before wicket for 43.
England contributed to their own demise by bowling short to a batsmen, who was clearly happy to pull and hook to the boundary all day, with Ben Stokes (6-99) suffering particular punishment.
Stuart Broad bags Warner's wicket
Australia lost the wicket of David Warner in the first hour, bowled by Stuart Broad for 16, but England had three more breakthroughs in the second hour of play.
Broad also had the wicket of George Bailey, who was caught by Cook, for 1.
Clarke falls cheaply
Rogers, who scored 116 in Australia's eight-wicket victory in the fourth Test, attempted to pull only to drag the ball on to his leg stump.
And Stokes got the big breakthrough when he coaxed an edge off Clarke to Ian Bell in the slips.
Borthwick in for Monty Panesar
Australia, who are chasing a 5-0 sweep for only the third time in Ashes history, remained unchanged for the fifth consecutive Test.
England dropped Joe Root and elevated Ian Bell to No 3.
Young leg-spinner Scott Borthwick came in for Monty Panesar, while speedster Boyd Rankin got his chance at the expense of Tim Bresnan.
But the torment for the tourists only deepened when paceman Rankin, one of three new caps in the side, hobbled off the field after lunch with what looked like a left hamstring strain.
The tall Irishman returned to bowl in the final session but lasted just one delivery before having to limp back off the field.