All over bar the shouting? Don't bet on it.

The urn is not up for grabs when Australia host England in the fifth Ashes Test at Sydney starting Monday, but there are pages in the history books at stake. Expect the utmost effort and commitment from both sides.

For England it is much more than the chance for a first series win Down Under since 1986-7. They can win handsomely in Australia, adding a third victory to successes by an innings at Adelaide and Melbourne.

If they managed this it would be the most stylish Ashes result from an England side in half a century. Mike Brearley triumphed 5-1 in 1978-9, but that was against a Kerry Packer-ravaged team well below international class. In winning 3-1 against a full-strength Australia on their own soil Andrew Strauss would be matching Len Hutton in 1954. The ambition thereafter would be simple: emulate Hutton and Peter May in building an England team to beat the world.

South Africa and India may well scoff at that as they contest a higher calibre of Test series. And the question of how and whether England might reach such heights is an open one. But the best win by any nation in Australia since the West Indies in the 1980s would be a statement of intent as well as an achievement for the ages.

There are, though, two sides to every coin. This Australia team do not want to go down as the first to lose a series to England at home in 25 years, much less a 3-1 defeat of historic proportions. Amidst the triumph and despair at Melbourne on Wednesday, it was worth remembering that a 2-2 series result is still on the table. That would be a respectable salvage job for the home side and a huge anti-climax for the tourists.

Injured captain Ricky Ponting is absent, in theory for one match but potentially forever after 152 Tests. Michael Clarke takes over the mantle, earmarked as Ponting's successor for five or six years but now in the worst form of his career and inheriting perhaps the worst Aussie team of his lifetime. It was not meant to be like this.

Usman Khawaja makes an overdue Test debut in the Tasmanian's number-three spot in the batting order. Also missing is Ryan Harris, who pulled up lame in Melbourne. Doug Bollinger is his replacement but a new cap will almost certainly be handed to Michael Beer, the left-arm slow bowler whose initial call-up for Perth caused such consternation. Clarke would surely have preferred his state colleague Nathan Hauritz, bizarrely sidelined by Ponting, on their home ground with a pitch that helps spinners.

England have a selection migraine. Tim Bresnan was an inspired horses-for-courses selection in Victoria but Steven Finn will have been heartbroken after taking more wickets than anyone in the first three Tests. The choice is not even just between this pair. England have Monty Panesar, a better spinner than Australia's phalanx of candidates, for a pitch where turn dominates and Ajmal Shahzad, who gets reverse swing so might be better suited to Sydney than his fellow Yorkshireman. But after inflicting Australia's worst ever home defeat last week it would be a surprise to see any changes for the visitors.

The finale will depend a lot on England's commitment. They celebrated at last week as if the show was over - MBEs all round at the MCG? - but such an attitude is anathema to Strauss and Andy Flower. The most notable quotes have come from Kevin Pietersen on how his 2009 revolt against Peter Moores was pivotal for this success. For the fifth Test England would be better to remember the start of Pietersen's reign rather than the end: defeating South Africa at The Oval after being outplayed in the series to this point. It didn't matter to the Proteas but defeat in Sydney would be an enormous waste in the context of the last five weeks and the last 133 years.

Key Men

Australia: Michael Clarke could never have imagined accepting his inheritance in such a parlous state or in such terrible personal form. Lifting the dressing room and his individual performance are both mammoth tasks.

England: Paul Collingwood may be playing his last Test as he loses form, Ian Bell grows in stature and Eoin Morgan's genius demands a place. If he is to go, it would be great to see him say farewell in style.

Last Five Results
2010: 4th Test England won by an innings and 157 runs at Melbourne Cricket Ground
2010: 3rd Test Australia won by 297 runs at the WACA, Perth
2010: 2nd Test England won by an innings and 91 runs at The Adelaide Oval
2010: 1st Test Match drawn at The Gabba, Brisbane
2009: 5th Test England won by 197 runs at The Oval, London

Prediction
There really is an enormous difference between 3-1 and 2-2 here and England did seem very pleased with themselves in Melbourne. Still they should have enough to secure a series win.

Probable Teams
Australia: Philip Hughes, Shane Watson, Usman Khawaja, Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Steven Smith, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Michael Beer, Ben Hilfenhaus.

England: Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Tim Bresnan, Graeme Swann, Chris Tremlett, James Anderson.

Dates: 3-7 January
Morning Session: 10.30-12.30 local time (23.30-01.30 GMT)
Afternoon Session: 13.10-15.10 local time (02.10-04.10 GMT)
Evening Session: 15.30-17.30 local time (04.30-06.30 GMT)

Match Referee: Ranjan Magdulle
Umpires: Billy Bowden, Aleem Dar; Tony Hill

Peter May