Khawaja leads solid Australian response

Half-centuries from Usman Khawaja and David Warner helped tilt the second day’s honours Australia’s way at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Friday (January 5). At stumps, Khawaja was unbeaten on a 204-ball 91, accompanied by Steve Smith (44 off 88), as Australia ended the day at 193/2, a deficit of 153, after England had posted 346 in their first innings.

England, resuming the day on 233/5, rode on cameos from all of Moeen Ali (30), Tom Curran (39) and Stuart Broad (31) to extend their total to respectability. In fact, when Broad bagged his 399th Test wicket with a peach – a full, straight, inswinging delivery that went through Cameron Bancroft – England would have been quietly hopeful of a good day. But a wicket-less final session, during which Khawaja and Smith added an unbroken 107, meant Australia were the happier side as stumps were drawn.

After Bancroft’s dismissal had reduced Australia to 1/1, Warner and Khawaja went about the rebuilding process with ease, comfortable in their respective, familiar roles. Khawaja was patient, knocking the ball about and rotating strike, even as Warner harried the bowlers – there were three fours off Curan in the 14th over, not allowing the medium pacer to settle on a line and length.

Warner’s fifty came off 89 balls, but his stay didn’t last long thereafter. Shortly before tea, Jimmy Anderson managed to induce an edge that was pouched happily by Jonathan Bairstow behind the stumps, and the 85-run second-wicket stand came to end. England headed into tea buoyed by the dismissal, but that was the last bit of cheer they had in the day. Smith and Khawaja saw to that.

Khawaja abandoned his circumspect ways as Smith settled. In fact, Khawaja seemed in such good touch that for a while, Smith decided to assume the role of the accumulator while his partner went after the attack. Boundaries followed off Ali, Anderson and the debutant Mason Crane, including even a lofted straight drive for six off Ali that was a sight to watch.

Khawaja’s proactivity allowed Smith time to work his way into rhythm – his first boundary came off the 43rd delivery he faced, a whip to midwicket off Crane full toss. There was the hint of a chance when Crane managed to induce an edge off Smith that fell just short of slip. There were further bellows from the England fielders when another outside edge, off Broad, flew just past first slip. Despite the early signs though, it just wasn’t England’s day.

The morning began with a bit of brilliance from Smith in the field. Dawid Malan had added just seven to his overnight total when Mitchell Starc induced an edge, and Smith did exceptionally well to put in the dive and hold on to it. However, that wasn’t a sign of things to come. Australia went on to drop as many as three catches, even as the English tail wagged with all the vigour of an excitable Labrador.

Pat Cummins was the first culprit, grassing Curran at mid-off when the batsman was on 21. It was a low catch, but should have been taken. In the next over, Josh Hazlewood had few excuses when dropping Ali off Cummins, reprieving the batsman on 22 after somehow allowing the ball to rebound off his stomach. It didn’t prove a costly mistake as Ali managed to add just eight before being caught behind off Cummins, the dismissal bringing an end to his 43-run stand with Curran for the seventh wicket.

If Australia hoped that would prompt a slide, there were in for some disappointment. Curran then stitched a 41-run stand with Broad, who seemed intent on swinging his bat around. Broad was peppered with bouncers, but he took each of them on, even clearing the ropes twice off Cummins. Curran, meanwhile, rode his luck, scoring via edges and mistimed shots, and had reached a 65-ball 39 when, finally, a Cummins bouncer yielded fruit – Curran picked out Bancroft at short-leg.

Broad’s adventurous stint in the middle was brought to an end shortly thereafter, Lyon finding the top-edge that was pouched by the back-pedaling Smith. Mason Crane was then run out for 4, bringing an end a frustrating morning for the home side.

The frustration wouldn’t last.