USMAN Khawaja became the third batsman to score tons in both innings in a Sydney Test in what was a remarkable return to the Test side.

Having not found a place in the Test side since 2019, Khawaja backed up his 137 from the first innings, starring once again in Australia’s bid to post a strong total. He eventually helped Australia set England 388 to win with a whole day’s play remaining.

In the 11 overs that England had to negotiate late on Day 4, the openers did well to go to stumps unscathed with 30 on the board with Zak Crawley unbeaten on 22 and Haseeb Hameed on 8. England need 358 to win on the final day.

England had done well to keep a cap on Australia’s scoring in the second session and scalped the big wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.

However, they couldn’t break the association of Khawaja and Cameron Green who added 179 runs for the fifth wicket to put Australia in control. Green, who was under pressure for his spot, coming into the game, was tested in the initial phase of his innings, but he gradually settled in to find his feet.

He took on England’s bowlers to bring to the fore his shots and grew in confidence with every passing ball. He got to his second Test fifty off 96 balls, while keeping a set Khawaja able company as the pair rescued Australia from a spot of bother at 86-4.

The visitors had kept a lid on proceedings before the tea break, but before that, runs flowed as Khawaja and Green upped the tempo scoring close to six an over for 20 overs. They eventually took Australia to 265 before Green and Alex Carey fell in successive balls with Leach finishing with four wickets and being on a hat-trick before Australia declared.

Mark Wood was in the middle of an intense spell when he got Labuschagne in the first over after lunch. Labuschagne, learning from his dismissal in the first innings, to negate the angle created by Wood, shuffled wide across outside off. However, he was undone with a shortish delivery outside off which the batter thought he had enough width to cut.

The extra bounce got him a faint edge that was taken by stand-in keeper Ollie Pope. Stuart Broad bowled tight lines, while Leach came on and got the ominous-looking Steve Smith immediately, undoing him with one that skidded on quicker than he expected.

After ending Jonny Bairstow’s valiant knock, it was only a matter of time before England were bowled out for 294 yesterday. Australia needed just over 9 overs to end England’s resistance. Bairstow single-handedly was keeping England afloat and was running out of partners. Scott Boland, however, who returned to bowl after a side injury had sent him for scans, continued to pick up wickets and immediately ended Bairstow’s resistance.
The keeper-batter departed for a brilliant 113 despite being struck on the thumb. He did not take the field in Australia’s second innings.

Jos Buttler too didn’t take the field because of a left index-finger injury with Pope assuming duties with the gloves. Australia made their intent clear from the outset, but couldn’t particularly kick on by getting the boundaries in.

England tested the Australian batters early on with good lines and lengths. Wood was rewarded for some tight bowling with David Warner’s wicket, whose lack of footwork did him in as he edged to Pope.

Harris, once again, got a start but couldn’t kick on, falling for 27 on the brink of lunch after a slew of dot balls got him frustrated. A cloud of uncertainty now lingers over Harris’s spot after Khawaja’s stellar showing and the former’s unflattering returns. (Cricbuzz)

AUSTRALIA 1st innings 416-8 decl.
ENGLAND 1st innings 294
Haseeb Hameed b Mitchell Starc 6
Zak Crawley b Scott Boland 18
Dawid Malan c Usman Khawaja b Cameron Green 3
Joe Root c Steven Smith b Scott Boland 0
Ben Stokes lbw Nathan Lyon 66
Jonny Bairstow c Alex Carey b Scott Boland 113
Jos Buttler c Usman Khawaja b Pat Cummins 0
Mark Wood c Nathan Lyon b Pat Cummins 39
Jack Leach c Pat Cummins b Nathan Lyon 10
Stuart Broad c Alex Carey b Scott Boland 15
James Anderson not out 4
Extras: (b-9, lb-6, nb-2, w-3) 20
Total: (all out, 79.1 overs) 294
Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-36 y, 3-36, 4-36, 5-164, 6-173, 7-245, 8-266, 9-289.
Bowling: Pat Cummins 20-6-68-2 (w-2, nb-1), Mitchell Starc 16-2-56-1 (nb-1), Scott Boland 14.1-6-36-4, Cameron Green 9-4-0-24-1, (w-1), Nathan Lyon 17-0-88-2.
AUSTRALIA 2nd innings
Marcus Harris c (sub.) b Jack Leach 27
David Warner c (sub.) b Mark Wood 3
Marnus Labuschagne c (sub.) b Mark Wood 29
Steven Smith b Jack Leach 23
Usman Khawaja not out 101
Cameron Green c Joe Root b Jack Leach 74
Alex Carey c (sub) b Jack Leach 0
Extras: (lb-4, w-5) 8
Total: (six wkts decl. 68.5 overs) 265
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-52, 3-68, 4-86, 5-265, 6-265.
Bowling: James Anderson 12-1-34-0, Stuart Broad 11-3–31-0, Mark Wood 15-0-65-2 (w-), Jack Leach 21.5-1- 84-4, Joe Root 7-0-35-0, Dawid Malan 2- 0-13- 0.
ENGLAND 2nd innings
Zak Crawley not out 22
Haseeb Hameed not out 8
Extras: 0
Total: (no wkt, 11.0 overs) 30
Bowling : Mitchell Starc 4-0-10-0, Pat Cummins 4-0-15-0, Scott Boland 3-1-5-0.