Usman Khawaja had planned to take first strike in the opening Ashes Test, yet a short but ill-timed spell off the field meant he had to watch Marnus Labuschagne and debutant Jake Weatherald walk out instead.
Khawaja, 38, left the ground several times during England’s first-innings 172, the last occasion with the tourists wobbling at 152 for 5. According to team staff he “just needed a stretch”. In the 23 balls that followed, England lost their final five wickets for 20 runs. When Steven Smith, captaining in Pat Cummins’ absence, realised the collapse was on, he called for Khawaja to return.
Under ICC playing conditions a player must remain on the field for at least as long as they were off before resuming batting duties. Khawaja had not served that time, so he was barred from opening. “It’s a straightforward regulation,” the match referee confirmed, adding there was “no discretion once the timings are logged”.
Weatherald therefore faced Jofra Archer’s first over. The left-hander had not taken the first ball in any of his previous 20 first-class innings but had little choice here. Archer’s second delivery, full and fast, pinned him lbw and knocked him off his feet. A debut duck, echoing Nathan McSweeney’s fate on the same ground last summer, left Australia 0 for 1.
Labuschagne, originally recalled to bat at three, found himself pressed into an opener’s role. He lasted until after tea when Archer struck again, leaving Smith to slot in at number three for the first time since 2017—though he did open four Tests early in 2024.
Khawaja eventually emerged at four, the rule-enforced delay a minor subplot on a frenetic day that began with England folding on a surface offering even pace but little menace. Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland shared seven wickets, both exploiting a touch of movement and England’s eagerness to drive on the up.
The situation underlined how swiftly momentum can shift. One routine stretch, a rapid collapse, and Australia’s carefully debated batting order was upended within half an hour.
