Usman Khawaja’s struggles against spin continue to haunt him. Here’s Crash’s fix

EVERYTHING was set up beautifully for Usman Khawaja at the Gabba; good batting deck, adopted home ground advantage, top Shield form. Then he came face-to-face with his old enemy, spin.

Usman Khawaja leaves the field after falling to off-spinner Moeen Ali.

NO prizes for guessing what’s on the menu for Usman Khawaja in every pressurised innings he plays in this Ashes summer.

For the 13th time in his Test career Khawaja fell to off-spin, lbw to Moeen Ali who was brought on early with Khawaja on his mind.

Khawaja has fallen to spin 17 times in Tests, almost half his 39 dismissals, a statistic that confounds and confuses the national selectors who are not sure what to make of his two-toned career.

Usman Khawaja leaves the field after falling to off-spinner Moeen Ali.

This Gabba wicket has taken more turn than any Brisbane wicket in memory and that has only served to enhance the venom of balls that don’t turn at all as batsmen get the two varieties mixed up.

Maybe it was the old pea and thimble trick or maybe just natural variation in the deck but Khawaja played for substantial turn when there was only a spoonful and was on his way. The ball before he played and missed at one that did turn so he was done by the one-two punch in and innings that cemented his status as Australia’s great batting enigma.

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Born in Pakistan, his game can also display the subtle wrist work that is the key weapon for many subcontinental batsmen.

The logical extension of this would be for him to be a crack player of spin but pace is his strength.

Spin is his poison to the point where he would probably not get a game for Australia in the country of his birth.

Ali’s cherry slams in Usman Khawaja’s front pad.

His wrists are fine - his feet seem the problem. At least getting them moving against the slow pitched ball.

Straight (ish) balls like the one produced by Ali test him far more than any bouncer from a quicks.

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His career is so unusual that he is the only batsmen dropped and effectively recalled in the one conversation - with selectors informing him when he was dropped recently in Bangladesh that he was all but certain to be recalled for this Test.

Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn are among Australian batsmen who finished their careers far better players of spin that what they started it but it was only through sweat toil and ruthless self-analysis that they got there.

The challenge for Khawaja is now to do the same.

Originally published as Usman Khawaja’s struggles against spin continue to haunt him. Here’s Crash’s fix