Jane McGrath Day: Cricket legend Glenn McGrath’s reveals wish for the Sydney Test, delivers moving speech

Australia and England have put their heated rivalry aside during the final Ashes Test, as the SCG turned pink for Jane McGrath Day.

Day three of the Sydney Test annually is set aside to honour the legacy of cricket legend Glenn McGrath’s late wife and raises funds for the foundation the pair founded together after Jane was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Jane died in 2008, aged 42.

Before play, both teams handed over their signed baggy pink caps to McGrath, which are auctioned off to raise tens of thousands of dollars for the foundation, alongside shirts, shoes and other memorabilia.

At the close of play, bids for the caps of centurions Joe Root, Steve Smith and Travis Head, as well as retiring veteran Usman Khawaja had already fetched thousands. 350,000 virtual seats had also been purchased.

A banner with Jane’s picture was unfurled on the field during the ceremony before play, as their children James, Holly and Maddison watched on.

McGrath, who retired in 2007 after scoring 563 test wickets, said it was “very special” to see the stadium covered in pink.

“To think here we are, 18 pink Tests on, it’s growing all the time. Just to see everyone coming out turning up – you look around the SCG it’s awash in pink,” McGrath said on Tuesday.

“It is very, very special, and that’s what I love about sport, cricket – that it brings people together.”

He added Jane would be proud of what the foundation has achieved.

“I think I get up in the morning to do what we do at the foundation out of respect for our loved ones that are still here but especially out of respect for our loved ones who aren’t,” he said.

“I think about Jane, she’d be looking down, she’d be very proud, she’d be quite humble with what’s been achieved here.

“What’s been achieved at the foundation in that time’s been incredible because of that support, but we realise we’ve got a long way to go, and it’s only from the support of people round this incredible country of ours that we’ll get there.”

The Barmy Army also got a special mention, with McGrath thanking the English for getting around the special day.

“This is the fifth time England have been here and supported the Pink Test, the Barmy Army have really got behind it,” he said.

“(Seeing) the English logo on a pink shirt, I think that speaks volumes because it’s not only an issue here in Australia with cancer diagnosis.

“The way the touring team’s got behind it I think has been absolutely amazing, and created something really special.”

While the visitors were praised for their efforts off the field, their torrid on-field performance dulled the enthusiasm of even their most spirited fans.

After wasting two reviews on the nightwatchmen, the Poms dropped Head three times — including an egregious fumble by Will Jakes on the boundary — and Smith once as the hosts pushed out to a 134-run first-innings lead at stumps at 7-518.

Smith remained unbeaten on 129 after he surged to his 13th Ashes hundred, surpassing Jack Hobbs’ 12 tons while also eclipsing his tally of 3,636 Ashes runs.

Head earlier added 72 to his overnight tally of 91no to become the second Australian opener after Matthew Hayden to score three hundreds in a series against England.

In what could be the final innings of his international career, not even a desperate review could save Khawaja as was trapped LBW and departed for 17. He was given a standing ovation as he left the field.

Despite England’s hopes of salvaging anything further from their tour Down Under slipping away, grumpy captain Ben Stokes managed to keep his composure on day three.

Stokes made headlines after a foul-mouthed tirade aimed at Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne on Monday, in which is appeared to tell him to “shut the f..k up”.