Harris, Khawaja slip in showers
Leeds, Aug. 22: Marcus Harris and Usman Khawaja both fell cheaply to leave Australia 39-2 on Thursday’s rain-marred opening day of the third Ashes Test against England at Headingley.
Only 14.5 overs in an originally allocation of 90 in the day had been bowled when rain stopped play at 2.45 pm (1345 GMT) after delaying the scheduled start by more than an hour.
It was frustrating for England, looking to level the five-match series at 11, after captain Joe Root had won the toss in the hope of making the most of overcast, bowlerfriendly conditions.
Australia had dropped opener Cameron Bancroft, who had made just 44 runs in four innings, and brought in Harris to partner David Warner at the top of the order after England had enjoyed the better of a rain-affected draw in the second Test at Lord’s.
Both left-handed batsmen struggled against England’s new-ball attack of Stuart Broad and Jofra Archer.
The experienced Warner was repeatedly beaten by Broad jagging the ball off a length, while the express Archer, in his second Test, went past Harris’s outside edge.
Warner continues to struggle
But Archer, bowling from around the wicket, squared him up with an 87.3 mph delivery that saw Harris get a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow — like Root appearing on his home ground.
Moments after Harris had fallen for eight, with Australia 12-1 off four overs, the umpires took the players off the field after deciding that a fresh shower was now too strong for play to continue.
It took Warner 14 balls to get off the mark as he continued to struggle, although Broad may have bowled a fraction too short with several deliveries beating the outside edge without really challenging the batsmen.
But he did take a wicket when Khawaja made thin contact with an intended leg glance and was caught behind.