Cricket - The Ashes - Australia v England - Fifth Test - Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia - January 8, 2026 Australia's Steve Smith and Pat Cummins celebrate on the podium with teammates as they pose for a photograph with the trophy after winning the series REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
SYDNEY, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Australia's squad mentality enabled them to trounce England 4-1 in the Ashes despite being without a handful of top players, Player of the Series Mitchell Starc said after the fifth test victory on Thursday.
Starc, who took 31 wickets, was the only one of the quartet of bowlers that have kept Australia at the top of the game for a decade to play all five tests.
Regular captain Pat Cummins played just one as he battled a back problem, spinner Nathan Lyon managed two before being sidelined by a hamstring problem and Josh Hazlewood was ruled out before the series started.
Added to that, Australia needed an emergency opener in the series opener in Perth when Usman Khawaja suffered back spasms and was unable to bat in the second innings.
Travis Head took up the role and kept it for the remainder of the series, notching three such influential centuries that he was unlucky to miss out to Starc for Player of the Series honours.
After stand-in skipper Steve Smith had paid tribute to Starc's "incredible" performances in the post-match press conference, the 35-year-old returned the compliment.
"Okay, Pat wasn't there, but we have someone who's captained the team so much in the past, has a great cricket brain. It was business as usual," Starc said.
"I think Steve's captained phenomenally well through the series, was ahead of the game, ahead of England for a lot of it.
"And then, whether it be the different batters, different Trav opening, different bowling setups, we knew as a group that we had the guys that could fill different roles and be adaptable in different situations."
LITTLE MOMENTS
Starc said that was not a recent development and that the team had been fully confident the likes of fast bowlers Scott Boland and Michael Neser would come in and play their part.
"I think it's been a feature as well over the years," said the left-arm paceman.
"It's not just about having a settled 11. It's very much a squad mentality.
"Whether it's Scotty playing five (tests) and doing his role so well, Neser coming in and having his first crack at red-ball cricket and probably having his best series for Australia of his career.
"They're those little moments as a squad that I think have got us across the line to four wins this series."
Both Starc and Smith, who is 36, said they were not looking too far ahead but would not rule out still being around to tour India as well as England in 2027.
"I think this group has shown that, whilst there's so much made about our age profile, I think at times through this series, that experience has been a really good thing in some moments in this series," said Starc.
"And I think we've seen guys prove that if you're still playing your role, or if you're still good enough, it shouldn't matter how old you are.
"If we both get to go on those tours in '27 it'd be lovely to tick them off, but we've got plenty of cricket before then."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
