Eish! The first Ashes Test in Perth had a proper shocker when Aussie batsman Usman Khawaja found himself in a sticky situation, leaving the top order exposed. Due to a bizarre twist of events involving toilet breaks and stretching (yes, really!), Khawaja wasn't allowed to open the batting. Can you believe it?
What Happened, Bru?
Mitchell Starc was on fire, ripping through the England batting lineup and bagging a career-best seven wickets. England were bowled out for a dismal 172. But when it came time for Australia to bat, Marnus Labuschagne, usually at No. 3, walked out with debutant Jake Weatherald instead of Khawaja. Why, you ask?
Turns out, Khawaja had been off the field for too long during England's innings. According to cricket rules, if a player is off the field, they have to wait a certain amount of time before they can bat. Khawaja didn't make it back in time before the last English wicket fell, triggering the rule. This meant he couldn’t come in at No. 3 when Weatherald was dismissed early.
Smith Had a Proper Grumble
Captain Steve Smith, never one to shy away from a bit of fire, had to step in at No. 3. Let's just say he wasn't chuffed about being exposed to the new ball because of Khawaja's, shall we say, 'strategic' breaks. Smith and Labuschagne did put up some resistance, but the damage was done.
Starc's Stellar Performance
Despite the Khawaja drama, Mitchell Starc was the real star of the show. He recorded his 17th five-wicket haul, sending the England batting unit into a proper tizzy. Leading the attack in the absence of Cummins and Hazlewood, Starc dismissed Zak Crawley for a duck in the first over and continued to dominate throughout the day. His figures of 5-54 were top-notch, helping reduce England to 168-7.
Key Moments from Starc's Spell:
- Dismissed Zak Crawley for a duck
- Trapped Ben Duckett lbw
- Had Joe Root caught for a duck
- Clean-bowled Ben Stokes
So, while Starc was busy taking wickets, Khawaja's loo break caused a proper kerfuffle in the Aussie batting order. Only in cricket, hey?