Edgbaston June 18 2023: Usman Khawaja hit his seventh Test century since being recalled by Australia to lead a solid effort on day two of the first Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston.
Khawaja’s brilliant 126* was his 15th career century but his first in Tests in England, and his effort helped Australia finish the day on 311/5, trailing by 82 with five wickets remaining.
Khawaja’s record since returning in the Sydney Test against the same opponents back in January of 2022 has been phenomenal.
The left-hander has hit tons in India and Pakistan in that time, as well as reaching triple figures at home against South Africa and England. But his record in English conditions had been poor prior to this outstanding knock in Birmingham.
Khawaja has now scored 1747 runs in the 31 innings since his return to the Australian fold, averaging an extraordinary 69.88 in that time.
And an emotional reaction from Khawaja upon reaching his landmark spoke to how significant this moment is for the 36-year-old.
The opener put together decent partnerships with Travis Head, Cameron Green and Alex Carey to help Australia back towards first-innings parity, with England left to rue a trio of missed opportunities as Australia edged the second day’s play.
How Day Two Unfolded
Australia had resumed on 14/0 after England declared on the first day – the second time England have made such an unusual move in 2023 under Ben Stokes’ captaincy.
And a slow opening half hour was soon blown up by a Stuart Broad double strike.
A wafted drive with limited footwork from David Warner saw him inside edge the ball onto his stumps, and Labuschagne fell victim to Broad’s recently-honed outswinger the very next ball, with Jonny Bairstow holding on to a good catch.
An attempted leg-side trap to Steve Smith on the hat-trick ball didn’t pay off, and Smith and Khawaja steadily ate through the morning session with a partnership of 38 across 16.4 overs before Stokes had the key man trapped lbw for a 59-ball 16.
Australia went in at lunch 78/3, still 315 runs behind, with England having used seven bowlers in the first session – including experimental single-over spells from part-timers Harry Brook and Joe Root.
Counter-attacking Australia took on Moeen Ali after lunch and Travis Head almost caught up with Khawaja as both reached their half-centuries in the session.
But Stokes stuck by his plan of keeping the field up to Moeen, and he reaped rewards for that faith when Head tried one shot too many and fell to the returning spinner for a 63-ball 50.
And the 35-year-old Moeen could have had a second wicket in the same over when a beautifully-flighted delivery spun past the charging Cameron Green only for Bairstow to miss the stumping opportunity.
Australia consolidated through until tea with the score at 188/4 and the lead down to 205. But just as it looked like Australia were gaining a clear upper hand in the game, with Khawaja and Green well set in the evening session, Moeen ripped a turner back through the gate to clean up Australia’s all-rounder for 38.
Khawaja’s ton gave Australia’s fans reason to cheer as the day ticked on, and the green and gold faithful had another moment of joy when Stuart Broad ripped out the off stump of the centurion with the new ball only to have overstepped – a second let-off in quick succession after Bairstow had failed to hold on to an edge from Carey off Root.
And Australia made England pay for the missed opportunities, with Carey reaching his half-century shortly before the close, as he (52*) and Khawaja (126*) saw off the second new ball and built a partnership worth 91 runs by the time play came to a close.
On a tough day for England’s bowlers, Moeen Ali got through 29 overs, three more than the number he sent down in the entirety of Chennai Super Kings’ winning Indian Premier League campaign.
And the England all-rounder is likely to be called upon plenty later in the match, with the Edgbaston wicket expected to offer more and more spin as the match unfolds.
Moeen finished with 2/124, with Broad (2/49) and Stokes (1/33) the other wicket-takers on a day when the England skipper did well to prevent over-bowling his pace-trio in morale-sapping conditions.
Khawaja and Carey will resume the third day 82 runs behind and looking to steer Australia into a first-innings lead.
