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Ashes 2019: Steve Smith repels Jofra Archer in Test return

Steve Smith returned from a concussion-forced absence to mount a familiar rescue mission, as Jofra Archer failed to trouble the batting ace.

Peter Lalor and Tom Crystal
19 min read
3:50AMSeptember 05, 2019.
Updated 9:29AMSeptember 05, 2019
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Steve Smith plays an unorthodox shot to reach his half-century. Picture: Getty
Steve Smith plays an unorthodox shot to reach his half-century. Picture: Getty

Australia vs England, fourth Test, at Old Trafford. Australia reached 3-170 at stumps on day one after winning the toss.

Smith continues run spree

Australian star Steve Smith marked his first Test innings since suffering concussion with a fourth fifty of the series as he continued his Ashes dominance against England, AFP reports.

Smith, a shining light for the tourists on a dull day in Manchester, was 60 not out in a total of 3-170 when rain ended play at tea on a wet first day. Travis Head was unbeaten on 18.

Smith came in with Australia struggling at 2-28 after an early double strike by Stuart Broad.

David Warner’s miserable series continued when he was out for nought in the first over, while fellow opener Marcus Harris (13) also went cheaply.

But together with Marnus Labuschagne, whose 67 was his fourth successive Test fifty since coming in as a concussion substitute in the second Test, Smith added 116 in 33 overs for the third wicket.

Former Australian captain Smith missed England’s dramatic one-wicket win in the third Test at Headingley that levelled this five-match series at 1-1 after being felled by a bouncer from paceman Jofra Archer during the drawn second Test at Lord’s.

— AFP

Travis Head and Steve Smith walk from the ground as rain stops play on day one. Picture: Getty Images
Travis Head and Steve Smith walk from the ground as rain stops play on day one. Picture: Getty Images

Live blog below — how day one unfolded:

3am: Rain returns

The covers are back on, so the start of the final session has been delayed. Play is due to go as late as 7.30pm local time (4.30am AEST) but it’s unlikely that will happen.

Steve Smith ducks under a short ball. Picture: AP
Steve Smith ducks under a short ball. Picture: AP

Peter Lalor 2.40am:

Marnus Labuschagne notched up his fourth consecutive Test half century, Steve Smith his eighth before tea on day one of the fourth Test.

Labuschagne is still to convert one into a hundred and won’t this innings as he was bowled by a brilliant delivery from Craig Overton. A ball that pitched outside off, jagged back in, caught an inside edge and flicked off the bails when the batsman was on 67.

Smith is 60no, Travis Head a hairy 18no and Australia 3-180 in the rain-interrupted match.

It was so windy in the second session the bails had to be removed and play paused as rubbish flew across the ground. At one stage a beach ball travelled from one square boundary to the other via the centre wicket.

Smith looks in imperious form, untroubled by anything the England bowlers throw at him. The only thing that resembled a false stroke was the four through the off side to bring up his half century. The batsman had to reach so far to hit the wide ball from Ben Stokes he lost balance as it raced away.

Travis Head is knocked off his feet by a ball from Ben Stokes. Picture: Getty Images
Travis Head is knocked off his feet by a ball from Ben Stokes. Picture: Getty Images

2.30am: Head start

Travis Head has flirted with danger in racing to 18 off 17 balls, courtesy of three boundaries. Ben Stokes drops the left-hander to the deck with a full ball that hits him on the foot. An lbw shout is sent for review by the fielding team but it's pitching outside leg stump. Australia reach 3-170 at tea, with Steve Smith on 60.

2.15am: WICKET!

A pearler from Craig Overton jags back a long way and clips the off stump of Marnus Labuschagne. The England seamer picks up a vital wicket — one that really didn’t look like coming from any of the other bowlers. It ends a 116-run partnership.

2.05am: Bailing out

A bitterly cold wind is whipping around the ground, blowing rubbish on the pitch and spilling the bails off the stumps. The English ‘summer’ has yielded single-figure temperatures at Old Trafford. Steve Smith almost topples over himself as slashes a wide Ben Stokes delivery for four to reach his 50.

Umpire Marais Erasmus clutches a bail after it falls off the stumps. Picture: AFP
Umpire Marais Erasmus clutches a bail after it falls off the stumps. Picture: AFP

1.50am: Hard yakka

Marnus Labuschagne edges Craig Overton through gully for four, bringing up the 100 partnership between he and Steve Smith. Labuschagne has been watchful in this innings, doggedly defending and leaving a high percentage of deliveries outside off stump. Australia grind their way to 2-131.

1.30am: Smith’s matador act returns

The quirky right-hander is looking more and more comfortable as Jofra Archer gives off a disinterested vibe. Smith’s signature bat-twirling, crease jumping and loud calling are all on show after he flays Archer behind point for four. The bowler has been well down on pace so far, hovering around 135km/h, as opposed to the peak speeds of 150km/h we’ve been used to.

1.16am: Rain clears

The latest rain delay lasts all of eight minutes before the covers come off and the umpires are back on.

1.10am: Half-century to Labuschagne

The right-hander works Stuart Broad off his pads and has his fourth straight Test 50. Australia are now in triple figures, at 2-101. It looks bitterly cold out there — some of the England fielders are clutching a hand warmer in each paw.

And here comes the rain again ...

1am: Back underway!

Jofra Archer gets the honours after a break in play of three hours. He’ll be looking to fire up and produce some of the hostility that so worried Steve Smith when they tussled in the second Test. The second ball of the session is short at 138km/h. Ball three squares up Smith but is squeezed away for a single. A vital period of the match here.

Peter Lalor 12.40am: Ray of light

With skies clearing, the current restart time is 4pm local time (1am AEST). Tea will be taken between 5.30pm to 5.50pm; and the final session is scheduled for 5.50pm to 7pm, plus an additional 30 minutes.

English singer Ed Sheeran, centre, at Old Trafford. Picture: Getty Images
English singer Ed Sheeran, centre, at Old Trafford. Picture: Getty Images

12.10am: From the vault

Mike Gatting cops a jaffa from Shane Warne in 1993.
Mike Gatting cops a jaffa from Shane Warne in 1993.

While we wait for the rain to clear let’s conjure a visit from the ghosts of Old Trafford Tests past.

It was at this ground in 1993 that Shane Warne spun his way into folklore with the ‘ball of the century’.

Poor old Mike Gatting watched dumbfounded as the then 23-year-old produced an improbable, unplayable gem with his first ball in Ashes cricket.

Australia went on to win the match by 179 runs — thanks to tons from Mark Taylor and Ian Healy — but of course all anyone wanted to talk about afterwards was the blond wonder from Down Under.

11.45pm: Mixed news

The latest from the ground is that it’s still raining, but the worst of it has apparently come and gone. The good news is that the final two days of the Test are forecast to be clear and dry ...

Covers on the wicket as rain disrupts play on day one. Picture: AFP
Covers on the wicket as rain disrupts play on day one. Picture: AFP

11.05pm: Opener’s dubious company

David Warner’s run of outs is his worst since making his Test debut in 2011, AAP reports.

Warner is also only the fourth opener in Ashes history to register at least six single figure dismissals in a series, joining Australia’s Colin McDonald (1956), John Dyson (1981) and Mike Atherton (1997).

Broad has now dismissed him 10 times — the most by any bowler. Former skipper Michael Clarke is the only player Broad has dismissed more times, with 11.

“It’s a tentative leave ... you’re trying to feel your way in, it’s not easy,” Shane Warne said on Sky Sports. “He’s (Broad) all over him like a cheap suit.”

— AAP

10.40pm: Second session delayed

Light rain is falling in Manchester and the covers are on. It’s been cool and windy so far out in the middle, and it looks like showers will hang around for most of the afternoon.

Peter Lalor 10.10pm: Marnus rolls on

Marnus Labuschagne is a single short of his fourth consecutive Test half century. Batting with Steve Smith, the new No.3 was 49 at lunch and Smith 28.

The pair have put on 70 crisp runs after both openers were out cheaply to get Australia to 2-98 at the break.

Jofra Archer has only bowled seven balls to Smith, the quick being rested soon after the man he knocked out of the second and third Tests came to the wicket.

Australia’s opening partnership problem continues unabated on the first morning with David Warner struggling and Marcus Harris proving no better than the man he replaced in the third Test.

Warner was out for a second-ball duck today, his half leave at a passing Stuart Broad delivery reflecting a man stuck somewhere between defence and attack.

Harris was trapped lbw by the same bowler for 13 after 30 minutes at the crease.

Broad is living inside Warner’s head and has dismissed him five times in the series. Warner has 79 runs from seven innings, and 61 of them came in the first innings at Lord’s. England have their problems too and have responded by dropping Jason Roy down the order for this match, but Australia have not had an opening partnership reach the fifth over of the innings.

Warner’s place is safe, as there is no one demanding it from him and his record will allow some leeway. The team live in the hope that he can unleash one damaging innings to turn the series, but he has only three opportunities left to do so.

Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are all smiles at lunch. Picture: Getty Images
Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith are all smiles at lunch. Picture: Getty Images

10pm: Lunch

Marnus Labuschagne (49) and Steve Smith (28) guide Australia to safety at the end of the first session. They have added 70 runs off 19 overs after Stuart Broad struck twice early, removing both openers. The visitors would be happy with how things look now.

9.40pm: Aussies dig in

Dare we say it, but Marnus Labuschagne (36) and Steve Smith (27) are looking relatively comfortable so far. Jofra Archer has bowled just five overs, and seven balls to Smith. This pair has added 50 after coming together at 2-28. Right-arm seamer Craig Overton is operating in tandem with left-arm off-spinner spinner Leach now.

England slip fielder Ben Stokes dives in vain for an edge from Marnus Labuschagne. Picture: Getty Images
England slip fielder Ben Stokes dives in vain for an edge from Marnus Labuschagne. Picture: Getty Images

9.25pm: Close!

Ben Stokes gets a big inswinger through Marnus Labuschagne, who is caught on his crease not offering a shot. England ask for a review after a big appeal is rejected. Ball-tracking shows it’s barely clipping leg, and therefore umpire’s call. Not out. Spinner Jack Leach is into the attack, and Labuschagne crashes a pair of boundaries behind point. Steve Smith might be relieved that Jofra Archer has managed only a few deliveries at him so far.

9pm: Drinks

Marnus Labuschagne drives Stuart Broad beautifully down the ground to long on for four, than clips through mid-wicket for the same result. This is the key pair for Australia — the batsmen who have prospered the most during this series. Ben Stokes is operating again after the break.

Steve Smith drives to the boundary off Jofra Archer. Picture: Getty Images
Steve Smith drives to the boundary off Jofra Archer. Picture: Getty Images

8.50pm: Archer v Smith

Steve Smith strides to the crease and Jofra Archer goes right after him — third ball is a bouncer that the batsman ducks under. Remember, this is Smith’s return after being felled by an Archer bouncer in the second Test. The crowd is right into this match now. Smith punches an Archer half-volley to the boundary to get off the mark.

8.35pm: WICKET!

Stuart Broad strikes again. He nips one back to left-hander Marcus Harris, striking him just above the knee roll. Umpire Kumar Dharmasena ponders his decision amid a huge appeal and signals out; Harris (13) appeals but ball tracker shows it clipping the top of middle and leg. Australia are 2-28.

8.20pm: Broad looking dangerous

The veteran paceman is on target, bowling at a good clip and getting some early swing. Jofra Archer, on the other hand, is easing into his work. The usually lively quick appears rusty — he’s reaching a tick under 130km/h — but that’s unlikely to last long. Marnus Labuschagne has joined Marcus Harris out in the middle.

David Warner trudges off after another Ashes failure. Picture: AP
David Warner trudges off after another Ashes failure. Picture: AP

8.03pm: WICKET!

A shocking start for Australia as David Warner hangs his bat out to a wide-ish delivery from Stuart Broad in the first over. He‘s looking to leave but the bat is drawn to the ball like a magnet and Jonny Bairstow pockets an easy catch. Australia are 1-1.

8pm: We’re underway!

Stuart Broad will start proceedings, bowling to Marcus Harris. Fellow left-hander David Warner is at the non-striker’s end.

Peter Lalor 7.50pm: A good toss to win

“Looking at that wicket it looks a bit drier than you’d expect. We thought we’d have a bat first and put the runs on the board,” captain Tim Paine says.

“I’ve personally put Headingley to one side and I think a lot of the boys have. Good or bad, we have to move forward.

“It’s a huge boost to have the best player in the world coming back into the side. Mitchell Starc has come in — we think this wicket will have a bit more pace and potentially some reverse swing at the back end of the game. He’s been working his backside off in the nets and he’s good to go.”

England captain Joe Root and Australia captain Tim Paine at the toss. Picture: Getty Images
England captain Joe Root and Australia captain Tim Paine at the toss. Picture: Getty Images

Joe Root says England would have batted if they had won the toss. “It does look a pretty good wicket. It’s got a bit of tackiness, which could bring us into the game early on,” he says.

“We’ve played a lot of cricket here, and we know it’s good for three and a half days. We must be prepared to bat long periods of time and put miles in their bowlers’ legs.

“We’ve had some fantastic support throughout this series — we’re very fortunate and we want to repay the favour. We always appreciate everyone coming out and supporting us, so it’s really important we put in a strong performance and get ahead in the series.”

Mitchell Starc was named in the Australian team for the first time this series and Usman Khawaja dropped to allow Steve Smith’s return.

Marnus Labucshagne will bat at No.3.

England have brought in Craig Overton for Chris Woakes and moved Jason Roy down the order.

England: Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler, Craig Overton, Jofra Archer, Stuart Broad, Jack Leach.

Australia: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade, Tim Paine, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon.

7.30pm: Aussies win the toss, bat

Skipper Tim Paine has called correctly and his batsmen will face the music on day one. England captain Joe Root says he would have made the same call had he won the toss.

7pm: Close call eases England pressure

Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, centre, is seen with teammates during a net session. Picture: AP
Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, centre, is seen with teammates during a net session. Picture: AP

Joe Root wants England to make the most of still being “very much alive” in the Ashes series, AFP reports.

Australia were on the brink of retaining the Ashes only for Ben Stokes’s superb 135 not out to guide England to a stunning one-wicket win in the third Test at Leeds.

The all-rounder’s Headingley heroics have left the five-match series poised at 1-1 with two to play.

“He’s very passionate and just a genuinely good bloke. When you combine that with the skill and ability he has it’s a great combination,” said England captain Root of Stokes, his deputy.

England’s remarkable win at Root’s Yorkshire home ground captured the attention of home fans, with the skipper insisting: “It’s a big lift for the whole squad, for that game to unravel how it did and for us to turn up here full of confidence and very much alive in this series.

“I feel that everyone has really got behind both teams, especially off the back of the last week in Test cricket. It’s great to see Test cricket seen in that light in this country, and globally as well.”

AFP

Gideon Haigh 6.15pm: More rain to delay start?

Manchester is one of two cities — Melbourne is the other — where a Test match has been rained out without a ball bowled.

Events will not repeat this week, but this morning has dawned bleakly after a heavy overnight dousing which threatens to delay the start of play in the Fourth Test at Old Trafford. Light rain is forecast for the rest of the day, which adds weight to the toss and implies interrupted proceedings.

The first four days of the match are sold out and local confidence is high, buoyed by Ben Stokes’ afternoon rampage at Headingley last week.

It remains the case, however, that, with the series one-all, victory here will retain the Ashes for Australia. The visitors are vastly strengthened, furthermore, by the return from injury of Steve Smith, recently restored to the top of the Test match batting rankings. “Yes, he told us this morning,” joked Tim Paine when asked about it yesterday — these things matter to a sometimes surprising degree.

Australia’s other inclusion, for his first Test since February, is Mitchell Starc, on a pitch tipped to suit his reverse swing, and after five weeks recalibrating to long-format lengths. He impressed selectors in the tour match against Derbyshire, where he took seven for 85 from nearly twenty-seven overs. All the same, eight of the last ten five wicket hauls in Tests have been taken by spinners, adding risk to the business of batting last.

England, meanwhile, have replaced Chris Woakes with Craig Overton, slightly weakening their batting in the hope of greater firepower with the ball. Woakes had taken nine wickets in three Tests at 29 but bowled only seventy-eight overs, with his captain Joe Root showing a strange reluctance to bowl him at stages. Overton showed pluck in two outings against Australia in the 2017-18 Ashes.

That shifts even more of the limelight onto twenty-four-year-old Jofra Archer, whose 13 wickets at 13.5 have been the most impactful bowling of the series. Archer played down his on-going duel with Smith yesterday: “He’s a world-class batter — he’s number one in the rankings. He’s probably one of the more important wickets we need to get, but not the only wicket. I’m not trying to scare him either, I’m just trying to get him out.” Yet there’s no doubt it will be a highlight of the next five days.

England also revive an opening partnership, Rory Burns and Joe Denly, last seen at North Sound in January. It has been a harsh summer for those at the top of the order. England’s opening partnerships have not endured beyond the ten-over mark in this series; Australia’s have not lasted beyond five. The brittleness of both teams’ batting adds spice to such cricket as is possible today.

Peter Lalor 5.58pm: Aussies rush in Starc

The Australian team has called in Mitchell Starc with the Ashes tied one-all and two Tests left in the series.

The tall left arm veteran of 51 games in the baggy green has not played in the series as the team rotates through five of the six seamers in the 17 man squad. Pat Cummins has played all three Tests, while Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson have each missed one.

Michael Neser is yet to make his debut.

Hazlewood and Cummins will partner Starc at Old Trafford where the pitch is renowned to be the fastest in the country and the abrasive conditions conducive to reverse swing.

Cummins is the leading bowler in the series with 17 wickets at an average of 18.52. Hazlewood’s eight wicket haul in a losing cause at Headingley gave him 12 wickets at an average of 18.

While Australia is rotating its bowlers, England dropped the underperforming Chris Woakes, replacing him with Craig Overton who was restricted to two Tests in the 2016-17 series.

Siddle was part of the Australian XII named two days before the game, but the veteran has been kept on ice.

It was a signal of radical intention to leave out Starc from the early part of the series when he had been an automatic pick in sides when healthy and has 211 career wickets.

The left armer, whose foot marks will provide a target for Lyon, has been working on shifting to a different length to suit team tactics, aiming to hit what the coaches describe as the “back of a length”.

While England learned this week that James Anderson has been ruled out of the series with a calf injury, the Australians have the luxury to chop and change according to circumstance as all six of the first choice bowlers are fit.

“All six of them are fit and healthy, which is a great luxury. I’ve never seen it before, I’ve seen it this whole campaign,” coach Justin Langer said.

“The problem is six doesn’t go into three, they could all play. There’s going to be three disappointed ones, two specifically I would’ve thought, but we’ve got to work out which ones it’s going to be. Whatever three we select we’re going to have a very good bowling attack.

“The conditions in the first three Tests have been very dry, which has half surprised us, and you’ve seen the way the wicket’s have been, a bit up and down, there’s been certainly some seam movement with the Dukes ball, a little bit of spin, probably more than we were expecting, maybe not so much last Test.”

A glance at the honours board at Old Trafford reveals that eight of the last 10 five wicket hauls taken at the ground have been taken by spin.

Nathan Lyon has 14 wickets at 32 in this series and will recommence his contest with Ben Stokes in the fourth Test. The Australians believe the damaging all rounder who won the game for them at Headingley is vulnerable to Lyon’s bowling.

Starc has been held back from the first three Tests as the Australians focus on a more conservative bowling approach in the series. The visitors resolved that bowling fast and attempting to achieve large amounts of swing has failed to win a series in England since 2001 and have shown a preference for more conservative lines of attack.

Starc has been working hard to adjust his lengths in the nets and was impressive in the tour game against a Derbyshire XI.

The focus on bowlers’ economy rates is a reflection of the batsmen’s difficulty in scoring runs in England.

Australia is averaging below 240 in the five completed innings of the Ashes and is yet to post a 300 run innings.

“We still have to bat better, we haven’t got 300 in the first innings yet,” Langer said before the game. “Every time we’ve got 300 we’ve at the very least won the Test match in the first innings over the last 20 Test matches.

“It’s a huge focus batting well in the first innings. We’ll concentrate on that rather than what happened then.

“We played pretty good cricket (at Headingley), we played pretty good cricket for a lot of Lord’s. We played excellent cricket for most of the first Test match as well. We’re going pretty well, it’s 1-1 in the series, been a great series.”

Australia dropped Usman Khawaja to find room for Steve Smith who returns after missing the third game with concussion.

Khawaja, 32, has averaged just 20 at No 3 but has not been solely responsible for Australia’s poor returns.

Marcus Harris was brought in to replace Cameron Bancroft in the game at Headingley, but the openers have failed to produce a partnership that lasted deeper than the fifth over.

4pm: Aussies wary of misfiring Roy

Australian captain Tim Paine is happy England have tinkered with their top order but remains wary about the threat posed by out-of-form slugger Jason Roy, whose attempt to become a Test batsman has been shambolic so far.

Australia and England have both made minor tweaks to their batting order for the fourth Ashes Test, which begins at Old Trafford tonight (8pm AEST). The tourists have axed Usman Khawaja, with Marnus Labuschagne set to rise one spot as Steve Smith returns to No 4.

Roy, having scored 57 runs from six innings as an opener this series, has been demoted to No.4.

Joe Denly, fresh from a half-century that shored up his spot in the XI, will now open alongside Rory Burns.

England’s Jason Roy is bowled by Australia’s Pat Cummins in the second innings of the Third Ashes Test at Headingley. Picture: AP
England’s Jason Roy is bowled by Australia’s Pat Cummins in the second innings of the Third Ashes Test at Headingley. Picture: AP

Australia have made no secret of their desire to rattle England’s inexperienced top order, with Josh Hazlewood having fired the first shot prior to the start of the series by pointing out that making the leap from ODI star to Test opener would be tricky for Roy.

“I’d probably say the bowlers feel like that (England changing their order) is not a bad thing,” Paine said.

“They feel like they’ve done a pretty good job against him.

“They are going to try and put him (Roy) in a position they think suits his play better.

“As I said before the Edgbaston Test, we know how skilful a player he is and I think it’s probably a matter of time before he finds the right tempo to play Test cricket. When he does he’s going to be a force to be reckoned with.”

England captain Joe Root was confident the change in spots will bring out the best of Roy. “The ability to play in his manner, a little bit more freely, when it’s not doing as much might give him a better chance,” Root said.

AAP

3.45pm: ‘Jofra has plenty of opinions’

Australian skipper Tim Paine has hit back at Jofra Archer’s claims Australia panicked and were complacent in the latter stages of their gut-wrenching one-wicket defeat to England at Headingley.

The teams face off in the fourth Test at Old Trafford tonight with the Ashes series locked at 1-1 and the home side buoyant following their Ben Stokes-inspired win in Leeds 10 days ago A facile win over English county battlers Derbyshire helped the tourists get away from the bitter disappointment of their Headingley heartbreak and Paine said his side have put the third Test firmly behind them knowing victory in Manchester will be enough to retain the urn.

You can forgive Jofra Archer for being a bit tired. That’s a lot of gold to lug around. Picture: Getty Images
You can forgive Jofra Archer for being a bit tired. That’s a lot of gold to lug around. Picture: Getty Images

“Jofra is entitled to his opinion, he has had plenty of those for sure,” Paine said.

“I was told a few things when I was down in Derby — I haven’t actually seen the quotes — but talk is talk and we are here to play this Test Match.

“What’s happened in the past has happened and Jofra is entitled to his opinion. As I said, it doesn’t faze us one way or another.

“We made some mistakes, it happens. We’ve addressed it as a team, spoken about it honestly … we’ve moved on and are ready for another great Test match.”

AAP

Daniel Sankey 3.30pm: ‘Khawaja will bounce back’

Australian team leaders have no doubt that Usman Khawaja will bounce back from the disappointment of being dropped for the Fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford tonight.

With Steve Smith returning from his concussion-enforced absence, selectors made the difficult decision to drop no.3 Khawaja. The Queenslander has been a mainstay in the position in recent times, but has averaged just 20.33 in six innings in this Ashes series.

While he did manage to score 72 when opening the batting against Derbyshire in last week’s tour game, it wasn’t enough to hold his position in the Test XI.

“Usman is obviously a key player in the side batting at number three and he hasn’t scored the runs that he or we would like,” Australian captain Tim Paine told reporters at Old Trafford yesterday.

“With Steve Smith coming back it was a tough decision to make on Usman.

“He has still got a lot of cricket left in him and has a very good Test record over his career. We expect him to bounce back pretty strongly.”

Usman Khawaja looks to regain some form in the nets. Picture: Getty Images
Usman Khawaja looks to regain some form in the nets. Picture: Getty Images

Additional reporting: Gideon Haigh/AAP

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Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/cricket/ashes-2019-fourth-test-day-1-live-coverage-from-old-trafford/news-story/2a1f51365a4d41acd504e5c3708062e2