Dominant Australia get over line in Sydney for 4-1 Ashes triumph

Australia had a few nervous moments but safely chased down their 160-run victory target before tea on the final day of the fifth Ashes test against England on Thursday for a five-wicket victory and a 4-1 series triumph.

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Australia celebrate after winning the Ashes series.

(AFP)

Seamer Josh Tongue led England's battling rearguard with 3-42 but Alex Carey got Australia across the line with a four through the covers in mid-afternoon in the company of Cameron Green.

"We've played so well as a team," said Steve Smith, who was standing in for Pat Cummins as Australia captain for the fourth time in the series.

"We've had some incredible individual performances but... 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."

England will take credit for making a game of it and not being ground into the Sydney dirt as previous tourists have in end-of-series dead rubbers at the famous old ground.

Without the bowling of injured captain Ben Stokes, however, defending 160 was always going to be an uphill challenge on a good wicket which allowed day-five action for the second time in the series.

Australia's openers managed to get the target under 100 runs before Man of the Match Travis Head, whose third century of the series underpinned his team's first-innings 567, ballooned a shot to midwicket off Tongue for 29.