 "Usman Khawaja did not open in both innings of the first Ashes Test. Image: AFP")
Australian opener Usman Khawaja is facing criticism from fans after he was unable to open the innings in the first Ashes Test in Perth. The 38-year-old left the field several times on Day 1 due to back stiffness and a sudden back spasm, which eventually made him ineligible to open in time according to ICC rules.
Khawaja walked off the field just before England lost 5 for 20 in a dramatic collapse, and because he spent extra time off the field, he was not allowed to open the batting when Australia came out to bat. This forced Australia to reshuffle their batting order at the last minute. Marnus Labuschagne had to open the innings with debutant Jake Weatherald, even though this was not part of the original plan.
The change did not work well. Weatherald was trapped lbw by Jofra Archer for a duck, and because the wicket fell so early, Steve Smith had to walk in at No. 3 for the first time since 2017. Khawaja later came out to bat at No. 4, but he also failed to settle and was dismissed for just 2 runs.
Fans online were not happy and questioned Khawaja’s preparation. Many pointed out that he had played golf the day before the Test during an optional training session, raising doubts about whether this affected his back.
Cricket Australia defends Khawaja
However, Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg has defended Khawaja and said the back spasms had nothing to do with golf. He said that Khawaja has had similar issues before. Greenberg also highlighted that Mitchell Starc played gold too but he went on to take a seven-wicket haul.
“Did that correlate to any of the issues? I personally don’t think so. Usman’s a very seasoned campaigner, he knows his body well, and he knows how to get himself prepared for cricket. So I think that is drawing a long bow. A lot of people talk about cricket being played between the ears,” Greenberg told SEN Radio.
“So getting some time away from being in your hotel or at training I think is really important. I noticed Mitch Starc played golf with him, so it certainly didn’t impact his performance,” he added.
Meanwhile, England have been bowled out for 164 runs in their second innings, setting Australia a target of 205 runs. Travis Head opened the batting along with Weatherald. The hosts are cruising nicely in the chase, having scored over 50 runs in the first 10 overs. This after both teams suffered a collapse in their respective first innings on Day 1.