Australia slip in the rain despite confident start by debutant Khawaja

Australia wasted solid start on the rain-marred opening day of final Ashes match despite a confident debut by Khawaja.

SYDNEY: Australia wasted a solid start on the rain-marred opening day of the final Ashes match against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground, despite a confident Test debut by Usman Khawaja.

Pakistan-born Khawaja, 24, the first Muslim to play a Test for his adopted country and replacing injured Ricky Ponting, fitted in seamlessly with a poised start to his Test career before he fell for 37.

Australia, under acting-captain Michael Clarke and attempting to prevent England from winning their first series Down Under in 24 years, relinquished a hard-won start to slide from 105 for one to 134 for four as England fought back in rainy Sydney. Michael Hussey was the not out batsman on 12.

“I had a ball out there,” said Khawaja. “I just wanted to stay out there as long as I could. It was a good start. You never want to get out, especially the last ball of the day as it turned out to be. I’d like to be 37 not out overnight, but that’s cricket. All you can do is learn from it.”

Khawaja’s accomplished two-hour knock ended when he top-edged a sweep off spinner Graeme Swann to Jonathan Trott at backward square leg. It was to be the last ball of the day before the rain swept in.

Bresnan strikes

Seamer Tim Bresnan, who finished with two wickets, said it was England’s day.

“We bowled well, put them under a lot of pressure in the first session so I think it was definitely our day,” said Bresnan. “We certainly bowled well in the first session with the new ball and made them play in a way where they are not used to playing, so we’re happy with that.”

Clarke’s dismal series continued when he went hard at Bresnan and found James Anderson in the gully on four. Clarke struggled for 21 balls before he attempted to cut a ball too close to his body to give the chance just 11 minutes after a rain resumption.

Ponting’s race against time

Injured Ricky Ponting will undergo surgery on a fractured finger today, as he battles to be fit for next month’s World Cup in the sub-continent. Ponting broke his left little finger during the third Test in Perth and aggravated it playing in the fourth in Melbourne. “Ricky had further x-rays today which have shown that the bone fragment has further displaced and will not heal without surgery,” according to team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris. “He will have surgery  and is is expected to miss the One-Day International series against England and recover in time for the World Cup.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2011.