Khawaja century puts hosts Australia ahead
Usman Khawaja’s, playing his first Test since 2019, produced a wellcrafted 137 as Australia declared on 416-8 at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday.
The 35-year-old left-hander received good support from Steve Smith with 67 and Mitchell Starc, who made an unbeaten 34.
Stuart Broad claimed a fine 5-101, including bowling Khawaja late in the day, but Australia held on to make England face a tricky 20 minutes with the bat.
Zak Crawley was caught in the slips off a Starc no-ball in the penultimate over before England closed on 13-0.
There were familiar problems for England, with Joe Root dropping Khawaja on 28 off Jack Leach, who again struggled for rhythm.
Ben Stokes also pulled up with a side injury midway through an over in the morning session and did not bowl for the rest of the day, despite returning to field.
England are facing a tough task on a pitch that has begun to show variable bounce and with a batting line-up that is yet to pass 300 in the series. Everything seemed to align for Khawaja as he made a century at the SCG, 11 years after scoring 37 on his debut against the same opposition at the same ground.
This was Khawaja’s first Test for two years after he was dropped in England, but his strong early season form for Queensland put him in contention for a recall before Travis Head contracted coronavirus.
He seemed to adjust quickly on the second day after a few early plays and misses, although he benefited on 28 when Root put down a chance at slip off the beleaguered Leach.
Khawaja withstood the England pace bowlers and targeted Leach, cutting and driving him as the Somerset man struggled for control.
He was not overly flashy, mixing his elegant strokeplay with working a series of singles to grind England down and move towards three figures.
Almost every change Australia have made in this series has worked - the only question from the bank. Some of the loan money will cover the 1.3bn euros debt that Laporta has admitted the club has to face.
“He’s trying to imply they are up for getting any of the big players and Haaland is possible, very possible.
“How do they get Haaland? They get rid of a bunch of players and Philippe Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti, Sergino Dest, Clement Lenglet, Frenkie de Jong, Martin Braithwaite, Oscar Mingueza, Luuk de Jong are for sale and then they’re able to bring in someone. It’s complicated, but not impossible.” Balague explained that Barcelona might retract from their rejection of a private investors CVC loan La Liga has got for its clubs, and that might help raise the wage cap. Haaland has scored 76 goals in 74 games for Dortmund in all competitions since joining from Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020.
He has been linked to Europe’s biggest clubs, but Balague believes La Liga would be his preferred choice.
“He would get more money in the Premier League but he prefers Spain,” added Balague. “The lure of Real Madrid and Barcelona is still powerful.
-BBC SPORTS