England made to pay for missed chances as emotional Australia star Usman Khawaja smashes fine century
BEN STOKES opened his box of tricks and out popped a sprinkle of magic but also a whole heap of frustration.
Stokesy’s all sorts included his trademark dose of wacky bowling changes, innovative field placings and some fairytale wickets.
But he could do nothing to dislodge opener Usman Khawaja, who batted throughout day two of the First Test and finished 126 not out.
Added to that was the maddening triple whammy of Jonny Bairstow missing a stumping and a catch behind – both costly – and Stuart Broad bowling Khawaja with a no-ball.
The fumbled stumping off Moeen Ali reprieved all-rounder Cameron Green on nought and he went on to score 38. Alex Carey survived Bairstow’s dropped catch on 26 off Joe Root and he was 52 not out by the close.
Khawaja was 112 not out when Broad bowled him with the second delivery with the second new ball – only for the third umpire to send a message that he had overstepped.
Broad earlier dismissed his bunny David Warner and the world’s No.1 ranked Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne with successive, electrifying balls.
There were two wickets for Moeen in his comeback Test and one for Stokes, who dismissed Steve Smith, no less, in his second over despite his wonky knee.
Australia were 67-3 when Smith was out so it is impossible to escape the feeling that England let them off the hook.
Khawaja and Carey have so far put on 91 for the sixth wicket and Australia, at 311-5, are threatening to go past England’s first innings total of 393-8 declared.
Khawaja was outstanding, calm and unruffled until a guide to the third man boundary took him to three figures. He danced and jumped and roared and even threw his bat in the air in a wild celebration.
It was his 15th Test century – but first in England – and nobody has more Test runs than leftie Khawaja since January 2022.
England started day two with three maidens – which is one more than they faced while batting for 78 overs on day one. There in one stat is the difference between Bazball and Ozball.
Broad broke open the top of Australia’s order by coaxing a wild, off-balance drive from Warner that ricocheted back onto the stumps.
Broad dismissed Warner seven times in the 2019 Ashes series and he is at it again.
Broad’s next ball to Labuschagne shaped way sufficiently to take the outside edge and Bairstow held a fine sprawling catch.
Two wickets in two balls. The crowd was on fire.
Broad and Jimmy Anderson opened the bowling for England. Perfectly reasonable. But when Broad was taken off, who would replace him? As Cilla might have said…surprise, surprise.
Harry Brook – or ‘Harold’ as Bairstow is prone to call him from behind the stumps – was the man chosen by Stokes.
In the league table of ugly and filthy bowlers, Brook is near the top with his 68mph off-the-wrong-foot dobbers.
You could see a surprised Smith was terrified at the prospect of getting out to him.
Brook was one of seven bowlers used by England before lunch. Nobody could accuse Stokes of not trying to keep the Aussies guessing.
There have been doubts for months whether Stokes would be fit to bowl in this series but he brought himself on, the heavy strapping on his left knee bulging through his trousers.
And in his second over, Stokes nailed Smith lbw. Even a review could not save the great Aussie run machine. Amazing stuff and Australia were wobbling.
Khawaja and Travis Head put on 81 for the fourth wicket and were particularly harsh on Moeen’s off-breaks.
Stokes persisted with his comeback bowler when previous captains would have taken him off. He also kept mid-on and mid-off back to tempt batsmen to hit high and straight.
Eventually, it paid off when Head drove a catch to Zak Crawley at mid-wicket. It was Moeen’s first Test wicket for 650 days.
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Two balls later, Green advanced down the pitch and missed a ball that turned sharply only for Bairstow to fumble the stumping chance.
Green added 38 further runs until he was bowled by a jaffa from Moeen that drifted away a touch and ripped back through the gate.
That was England’s last success – although it wouldn’t have been but for the errors by Bairstow and Broad. England were left with a feeling that things could and should have been better.