Khawaja’s farewell ended in disappointment on his seventh delivery when he was bowled by Josh Tongue for six – bringing to a close a fine Test career that began at the same venue 15 years ago.
Labuschagne was then run out for 37 off 40 balls – later admitting he hoped there were no cameras in the dressing room to capture his reaction – leaving Australia a nervy 5-121, still 39 runs short of victory.
Cameron Green (22) and Alex Carey (16) guided Australia home despite a few final worrying moments.
The result epitomised Australia’s consistency and ability to remain calm under pressure, even with a number of team changes between Tests.
Travis Head was named player of the match for scores of 163 and 29, taking his tally to 629 runs at 62.9, while Mitchell Starc claimed player of the series honours for his 31 wickets at 19.93.
“I think we’ve played so well as a team,” Smith said. “We’ve obviously had some incredible individual performances.
Cameron Green and Alex Carey celebrate after steering Australia home at the SCG.Credit: Getty Images
“This man next to me [Starc], has been incredible. He and Scotty [Boland] playing all five games was a huge effort. They only had Brydon Carse play in every game [of the bowlers]. Everyone else went down. It’s a tricky place to bowl fast. The amount of force these guys put through their bodies on these wickets is outrageous.
“Trav and Alex obviously had incredible performances throughout the series. Everyone else just stood up at different moments. I think that’s what makes a really good team. We won those big moments throughout the series; we had that belief that guys would show up and get us out of the situation.”
Smith also praised all-rounder Beau Webster, who made 71 not out and claimed three crucial wickets. However, despite not picking a frontline spinner, Smith believes the decision was justified.
“Everyone who came in did a tremendous job, even Beau Webster,” he said. “Guys just did their job when we needed them to. I think our fielding was incredible as well.
Australia’s players celebrate with the Ashes trophy in the SCG dressing rooms after their 4-1 series victory.Credit: Getty Images
“It is [justified]. We’re standing here winning, right? Had we not, maybe there’s a bit to answer for there, potentially. We thought the cracks were going to open up quicker than they did, and the rough wasn’t going to be as prevalent as it was.”
England arrived in Australia with genuine belief they could topple the hosts but were humbled at almost every turn.
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Captain Ben Stokes, who finished the series with batting and bowling averages of 18.4 and 25.13, respectively, conceded England had fallen well short of expectations.
He made no excuses and acknowledged teams around the world had found methods to blunt their aggressive style, but indicated he wanted to continue as skipper.
“I’m definitely keen as anything to carry on,” Stokes said. “I’ve loved having a challenge thrown at me. The challenge is getting the team back to where we once were.
“We are now playing against teams who have answers to the style of cricket that we have been playing over quite a long period of time now.”
Players from both teams shared a beer on the field and in the dressing rooms afterwards. One side licked its wounds, while the other savoured another dominant campaign on home soil.
“The hype before this series was as big as I’ve ever seen,” Smith said. “Hopefully we’ve been able to entertain and live up to that hype.”
