England skipper Joe Root praised his battered team's character to stave off Australia's victory push and hold on for a gritty draw in Sydney on Sunday as injured wicketkeeper Jos Buttler prepared to fly home.
Old stagers James Anderson and Stuart Broad batted out the final two tense overs to give the beleaguered tourists a fighting draw and deny dominant Australia a fourth straight Test win in the lopsided series.
It comes after England meekly surrendered the Ashes, heavily losing the first three Tests inside 12 days amid bitter recriminations over the performances of the players, coaching staff and the captain.
But despite failing to pass 300 in any of their eight innings so far in the series, England, with nothing to play for but pride, saw the draw as a test of character.
"Relief is the overwhelming emotion and I'm quite proud too," Root said.
"We had a lot thrown at us in this game and guys have really stood up and showed a lot of character and pride.
"To come out and do that was really pleasing. It's a big step in the right direction. It's a step forward and one we have to build on going into that last Test in Hobart."
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Root, who had a low-key match with scores of 0 and 24, pointed to the positives.
"Today shows how much it means to them.
When you find yourself out of the series it is really important you front up and time again show how much it means to you," he said.
"I think everyone has done that this week."
