The Ashes 2023: England defied by Usman Khawaja century

England were defied by a classy period from Australia's Usman Khawaja connected riveting 2nd time of the archetypal Ashes Test astatine Edgbaston.

He was bowled by a Stuart Broad no-ball connected 112, 1 of 3 errors from England that besides included Jonny Bairstow missing 2 chances down the stumps.

In an electrifying greeting session, England utilized favourable overhead conditions to trim the tourists to 67-3 successful reply to their 393-8 declared.

The renewal of Stuart Broad's conflict with David Warner resulted successful a 15th dismissal successful Test cricket and, adjacent ball, Broad sent Edgbaston into rapture by having Marnus Labuschagne brilliantly caught by Bairstow.

Ben Stokes, proving his fittingness to bowl, trapped Steve Smith lbw for 16.

But Khawaja stood firm, adding 81 with Travis Head, who made 50, and 72 with Cameron Green. Both Head and Green were removed by Moeen Ali connected his instrumentality to Test cricket.

Even astatine 220-5, Australia were connected the backmost foot, lone for Khawaja to adhd different unbroken basal of 91 with Alex Carey, the beneficiary of a Bairstow driblet who closed the time 52 not out.

By the end, Australia had moved to a presumption from wherever they tin instrumentality a first-innings lead, which could beryllium important connected an highly adust transportation that seems acceptable to deteriorate aboriginal successful the match.

Tactical conflict follows frantic archetypal day

If time 1 was frantic from commencement to finish, this was a strategical battle, yet inactive each spot arsenic compelling, melodramatic and competitive.

Just arsenic they were antiaircraft successful the tract connected Friday, Australia hardly engaged successful England's full-throttle approach. There were much maidens successful the archetypal 3 overs than the full of time 1 and Australia crawled astatine marginally much than 2 an implicit successful the archetypal league - and it played close into England's hands.

Stokes was relentlessly tinkering. Seven bowlers were employed successful the archetypal session, and the usage of Harry Brook's mean gait wrong the archetypal hr stretched credulity. Smith was greeted by 8 adjacent catchers connected his arrival.

Broad's dismissal of Warner was astir comical successful its inevitability, followed by chaotic celebrations astatine the Labuschagne dismissal adjacent ball. The Edgbaston roar returned erstwhile Stokes got Smith and for Moeen's important interventions.

But connected specified a placid surface, and with Khawaja fronting the Australian resistance, England needed to instrumentality each of their chances. The 3 misses - determination was besides an borderline betwixt Bairstow and gaffe Joe Root precocious connected - could yet beryllium to beryllium hugely costly.

Khawaja stands up successful the chaos

Since being recalled successful the past Ashes series, Khawaja has outperformed each of his Australia team-mates, but retained the stigma of an mean beneath 18 successful this country.

However, this was an assured period erstwhile Australia severely needed him - Khawaja showing alloy to beryllium the changeless beingness successful the rearguard partnerships with Head, Green and Carey.

Khawaja is simply a beautifully languid player. When England's gait bowlers dropped short, helium swivelled to pull. When Moeen was bowling, helium chassed down the transportation to deed straight, doubly for six.

He reached his 15th Test hundred, and archetypal Ashes 100 extracurricular of Sydney, by late-cutting Stokes past celebrated passionately by throwing his bat into the air. At the extremity of the day, helium took his girl to the quality conference.

Khawaja was, though, decisively beaten successful Broad's archetypal implicit with the 2nd caller ball. With the disconnected stump pegged back, Khawaja's locomotion backmost to the pavilion was halted erstwhile the TV umpire detected the no-ball.

By that point, Carey had been fto disconnected connected 26 by Bairstow disconnected Root's off-spin and later, connected 46, different borderline disconnected Moeen went betwixt the keeper and Root, who was dilatory to determination debased to his right.

More to follow.