Travis Head was forced to give up his place at No.5 to Khawaja for the Sydney Test due to his COVID diagnosis, but that hasn’t stopped the batting star from backing his fellow left-hander to bat his way into the Australian team permanently for the team’s big overseas challenge in March.
Head is assured of reclaiming his place for the Ashes finale in Hobart next week, but Khawaja will resume on day two knowing that a big score on the ground he regards as his spiritual home could springboard him to fulfilling another lifelong dream of playing a Test in the country of his birth.
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Khawaja grew up a stone’s throw from the SCG and made his Test debut there against England a decade ago – and the fans haven’t forgotten him, with the SCG faithful of 25,078 giving him the biggest ovation of the day when he walked out to the crease late in the piece following the quick loss of Marcus Harris (38) and Marnus Labuschagne (28).
Australia finished a rain interrupted start to the SCG Test at 3-126, with old junior buddies Steve Smith (6 not out) and Khawaja 4 (not out) back together again and charged with putting their side into the ascendancy after a fighting England broke even to start the New Year.
Khawaja’s last overseas date with Pakistan produced his greatest ever Test hundred, and even after a world-beating summer by Australia – Head believes the 35-year-old veteran has the ability to prove in Sydney why he should bustle his way into the XI for sub-continental conditions.
“I know Pat spoke highly of him over the past 24 hours about his calm, consistent attitude and what he brings,” said Head.
“He’s played a lot of cricket. I think he’s someone moving forward when we go to Pakistan, he had a great series in Dubai (in 2018) and he’s going to play a role over the next 12-24 months (in the Test team).
“He brings a lot to the group with that calm, consistent ability and I’m hopeful he goes out and shows that.”
The camaraderie between Head and Khawaja is strong despite the fact the South Australian narrowly beat him to the No.5 position at the start of the summer.
COVID restrictions have meant spare squad members like Khawaja have played no cricket for nearly two months now – but Head is confident Queensland’s captain can overcome any rust and make England’s bowlers pay on a wicket that should flatten out even more for run-scorers.
“I’ve spoken to him. I sent a message to him wishing him all the best,” said Head.
“I feel like I’m in a great space and I feel like he’s the same coming into this series. We spoke about whoever got that nod was hopefully going to play their best cricket and that’s the beauty of it.
“He’s spoken about getting out there and getting in sync quickly and then get into his work. I think that was the only (question) over the next five days is his ability to go from net play to game play so quickly but he’s an experienced player so I have no doubt he’ll be able to do the job.”
Australian opener David Warner looked in good nick again as he charged to 30, before he fell to nemesis Stuart Broad for the 13th time in his Test career to further highlight the mystery of why England didn’t put faith in that match-up when the series opened a month ago at the Gabba.
Harris and Labuschagne continued to build the innings with a strong partnership built in between the raindrops, but James Anderson and Mark Wood followed up from Broad’s good work to make a double-breakthrough which left England feeling pleased.
“It was a stop starty sort of day to get the wickets at the end and change perspective of the game was a big deal,” said Wood.
Warner said the rain made it a difficult day after captain Pat Cummins won the toss – and said the wicket demands Australia put on a big first innings total.
“You have to readjust when we come off and then go back on again. Obviously it’s not ideal,” said Warner.
“Given the weather that was around and the wicket was a day harder than it would have normally been. I can see some cracks that are underneath, and definitely batting first we need to maximize our first innings.
“Day four and five is going to be very interesting and awesome to play.”
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And that might just do us for the day – players have been forced from the field for the fourth time, by my count.
But this one, at 6.23pm ahead of a revised finish of 6.30pm, is the nail in the coffin for today.
This rain has come out of nowhere, too. It's looked absolutely sun-soaked for the past hour and I thought we were well and truly cruising towards the 7pm finish.
But instead, it looks like it could be stumps for tonight with Australia 3-126.
Usman Khawaja (4) and Steve Smith (6) are the undefeated batsman to reach stumps, following the late session dismissals of Marcus Harris (38) and Marnus Labuschagne (28).
England shared the wickets around between Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson and Mark Wood and will take some confidence out of Wednesday – knowing an early burst on day two will put them well on top this Test.
Australia will be relying on the veteran pairing of Smith and Khawaja to steer them towards another commanding first-innings target.
Play will resume at 10am AEDT on Thursday, as officials try to reclaim some of the lost overs from today's rain-affected play.
Join us then!
A huge challenge, and as big an opportunity, for Usman Khawaja who took 13 deliveries to get off the mark in his Test recall.
Khawaja was in a neck-and-neck battle with Travis Head to play in the first Test at the Gabba, but lost out to his younger teammate, before getting his chance in the most 2022 of ways – a positive COVID result ruling Head out of the Sydney Test.
Now 35, Khawaja is likely enjoying his final recall to the Test side – and potentially has one innings to prove himself worthy of a spot in Australia's squad for the upcoming Test tour of Pakistan, the country of his birth.
He arrived to tremendous applause, which returned as he took Mark Wood for four, whipping a bouncer off his nose and in front of the Ladies' Stand, to get off the mark.
Khawaja and vice-captain Steve Smith, are aiming to steer Australia through to stumps.
There's 11 overs, or as many as they can bowl inside 40 minutes, remaining in the day.
And another one! This time Marnus Labuschagne is the victim as Australia suffers a serious double-blow in the third session.
Labuschagne goes for 28 and Australia has lost two for 6, with two new batsman at the crease.
Mark Wood has the world's No.1 batsman nibbling at a short-ish delivery and it lands in the gloves of Jos Buttler. England are delighted at the twin victories they've landed over the Aussie top order late today.
That's Marnus' second first-innings failure in a row – something we've not seen all too much of over the past two years.
It brings Usman Khawaja to the crease, standing in for Travis Head, who is sidelined while he waits for a negative COVID test.
Has Australia already got enough on the board?
Well, it's only 2-113 right now, but Paralympic gold medal winner Kurt Fearnley certainly thinks so!
For the record, I'm tipping Steve Smith – if you gave him the option – will want to bat through to stumps. And then all day tomorrow. And probably a bit on Friday as well.
Marcus Harris departs for 38 – when he was looking as assured as he has in his entire Test career, possibly.
Jimmy Anderson gets the ball to angle across the left-hander, takes a decent edge to Joe Root at first slip.
That's a key wicket with a little over an hour still to play tonight, and sun burst through the clouds at the SCG.
Australia is 2-111, and Harris will feel as though he's squandered a decent opportunity to go big on what seems a decent batting deck. But he shouldn't feel too downcast, that's a very good knock and one that has taken the shine off the ball and set the foundations for Australia's middle order.
Steve Smith joins Marnus Labuschagne in the middle.
Australia has done the business since the tea break, with Harris and Labuschagne notching their 50-run partnership for the third wicket and pushing Australia's total to 1-108.
They are looking increasingly settled, with Harris in particularly playing a steady hand as day one speeds towards stumps – still 20 overs away at this stage.
England turned to Jack Leach, to a huge roar from the crowd for the favourite, just before the drinks break.
But first ball, the left-armer came around the wicket to the left-handed Harris – and send a ball down the legside that was immediately whipped off the hip for runs.
The bowling, fields and tactics in general left Test great Mark Waugh perplexed.
"He should be bowling over the wicket outside off stump… I just don’t get this," Waugh said on Triple M.
"All the analysts in the world, you've got guys that have played 100 Test matches and they’re still setting negative fields.”
The 100 is up for Australia, and they're starting to make the most of this final session – with Marcus Harris looking increasingly dialled in, as he backs up his last-start half-century at the MCG.
It's been a tough series, all told, but there's plenty to like about the way Harris is batting now – nice simple decision-making, crisp cover drives and good leaves.
He's steered Australia to the century-mark today, and is unbeaten on 32 with Marnus Labuschagne (who has survived the occasional hairy moment) on 19 not out.
With 24 overs remaining in the day, should the rain and bad light hold off, Australia has made the most of a rain-affected day today.
"It's been a terrific effort by the Australians, with the stop-start nature of the day," says Adam Gilchrist.
"It can be very easy to lose concentration, but one of the pillars of Marnus' batting is his concentration. We saw Marcus Harris in Melbourne developing that aspect of his game as well."
Today has been sluggish, at times, because of rain delays that really put the screws on during the middle of the day.
So here's our own Matt Hickey's efforts to lift your spirits – with a mix of Marnus's quirks, and some 90s BritPop.
18 extras for England today…. and 12 of them have come from wides, including another loose delivery from Mark Wood who sends down a bouncer well over the top of Marcus Harris' reach.
Am I right in thinking that extras were England's third highest run-scorer in 2021, behind Joe Root and Rory Burns?
It looks like they're paying it forward in 2022.
"It's a waste. That's 12 runs through that delivery today," says Mark Waugh.
