Usman Khawaja, the opening batsman for Australia, struggled in the first innings after being forced to bat in the middle order. The Islamabad-born player gave an honest evaluation of the Perth pitch, stating that it was not even close to being a friendly track to bat on because pacers benefited from it and a staggering nineteen wickets had dropped on the first day.
The pitch at the Optus Stadium in Perth, where Australia and England played their first Ashes Test match, received the best rating available from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Australia swept down the 204-run target set by the Englishmen in nearly two innings on the first day, ending the contest in a matter of days.
“On the first day, 19 wickets were taken, and roughly 20 individuals were struck. That’s a fantastic wicket, doesn’t it seem fair? Khawaja was quoted by Daily Mail UK as adding, “That day one wicket happened last year, too.
“I’m glad to report that the day one wicket is a piece of s***. On days two and three, they do improve, but on day four, they start acting out once more. We are aware that the greatest times to bat are typically on days two and three.
Because of this, if we win the toss at a game in Perth, we bat first in the hopes of batting again at the end of day two or early in the third,” Khawaja continued.
Significantly, Khawaja had been experiencing back pain during the Perth Test, and as a result of being off the pitch when Australia bowled, he was not permitted to start the innings on either occasion. However, he is optimistic that he will regain his form for the second Test, which will take place in Brisbane at the Gabba.
Although Khawaja has been included in the team for the match in Brisbane, it is unclear if the Australians would wish to start him. However, the lineup for the second game remains the same as it was for the first, meaning the hosts will still be without the speed combo of Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.
Steven Smith (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschange, Cameron Green, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Usman Khawaja, Michael Neser, Scott Boland, Brendan Doggett, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Jake Weatherald, and Beau Webster are the members of the Australian team for the second Ashes Test.
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