Khawaja leads Australia fightback on Day 2

Australia landed their counter-punch on a riveting second day of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston as a defiant century from Usman Khawaja led the visitors’ fightback against England. The left-hander batted through the day to lace his 15th Test century, guiding Australia to 311-5 at stumps to limit England’s first innings advantage to just 82 runs at the close of play.

While the day belonged to Usman Khawaja, it was Stuart Broad’s morning as the veteran seamer delivered a testing opening spell that produced two key breakthroughs. Broad dismissed Warner for the 15th time in the Ashes in the seventh over of the day, with the left-hander dragging one onto his stumps to extend his miserable run of form on English shores.

One ball later, Broad served up an inswinger outside off-stump, tempting Marnus Labuschagne into the drive and drawing an outside edge on its way to Jonny Bairstow to send the Edgbaston crowd in a frenzy.

Steve Smith looked to weather the early storm in the opening session after the Broad double-blow but was pinned on the pads by Ben Stokes in his second over, leaving Australia in a spot of worry at 67 for 3. However, the momentum began to turn after Lunch as Travis Head and Usman Khawaja led Australia’s counter-attack. The left-handers picked on Moeen Ali throughout the afternoon, peppering the off-spinner down the ground to keep the boundaries flowing.

Head got to his half-century off just 60 balls, but departed right after reaching that landmark, chipping Ali to mid-wicket. The off-spinner should have had Cameron Green two balls later, only for Jonny Bairstow to miss a regulation stumping after being deceived by the turn. Green threatened to punish the keeper’s mistake by adding another half-century stand alongside Khawaja, but Moeen finally got his man after Tea with a beauty that ripped through the all-rounder’s defence on 38 and crashed into the stumps.

However, Green’s dismissal was the only wicket England picked up in the final session as they spurned the few opportunities they created to expose the Australian tail. Jonny Bairstow dropped Alex Carey off Joe Root on 26, while Khawaja was offered a life by Stuart Broad after notching up his first Ashes ton. The seamer cleaned up the opener with the second new ball but was caught guilty of overstepping, allowing Australia to end the day on 311 for 5, 82 runs adrift of England’s first-innings tally.