Veteran opener Usman Khawaja didn’t open for Australia on a chaotic Day 1, with Marnus Labuschagne stepping in. Due to ICC Law 24.2.3 after a back-spasm break, he had to bat at No.4, where he fell for 2, extending his recent slump.
Veteran Australian opener Usman Khawaja, not opening on Day 1 of the First Test of the Ashes series against England at the Optus Stadium in Perth, became one of the major talking points. The opening day of the ongoing first Ashes Test witnessed 19 wickets falling, with Australia and England suffering a dramatic collapse as relentless pace bowling dominated proceedings and exposed batting frailties.
After being bundled out for 172 in 32.5 overs, England restricted Australia to 123/9, with skipper Ben Stokes and his pacemen applying constant pressure to dismantle Australia’s batting line-up and keep the contest finely poised at the end of Day 1. The opening day of the first Ashes Test recorded the most wickets to fall on Day 1 of an Ashes match since 1909, with 19 scalps taken.
Australia and England will now look to rebuild on Day 2, hoping to gain control of a match that swung wildly throughout the opening day.
Minor Shuffle in Australia’s Top Order
Usman Khawaja has been one of Australia’s most reliable openers, but surprisingly, he did not walk out to open the hosts’ first innings batting with the debutant Jake Weatherald. Instead, Marnus Labuschagne stepped in as the makeshift opener, taking Khawaja’s place at the top of the order.
During Australia’s first innings bowling, Khawaja suffered a back spasm and had to leave the field for treatment. The veteran opener was off the field for an extended period of time, but he walked out to bat at No.4 when Australia were reeling 28/2. It was for the first time since 2011 that Usman Khawaja batted at no.4 or lower in the batting order in his Test career.
However, Usman Khawaja’s stay at the crease was shorter as he was dismissed for just 2 runs at 31/4, further leaving Australia in the position of reeling. The back spasm and his time off the field forced the team management to shuffle the batting order, creating an unusual opening combination that surprised many.
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With his 2-run dismissal in the first innings of the Ashes 2025 opener, Usman Khawaja extended his lean run of form, amassing 188 runs at an average of 18.80 in the last 11 innings, highlighting a worrying downward trend for one of Australia’s most experienced batters.
Why Usman Khawaja Didn’t Open the Innings?
Usman Khawaja not opening the innings for Australia on the opening day of the first Ashes 2025 Test raised eyebrows as the veteran batter has been designated opener across formats, especially Tests, for the past several years. The team management’s decision to send Khawaja at No.4 was not a tactical call but a compliance with the ICC rule.
As per the ICC Law 24.2.3, any player who is off the field for an extended period of time must wait the same duration before batting, meaning that Usman Khawaja was unable to open the innings for Australia after spending eight minutes off the field due to a back spasm.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins, who was ruled out of the Perth opener due to a back injury, confirmed that Khawaja’s delayed entry was entirely due to the ICC regulation.
“Usman had some back spasms, he had some treatments, but we got on the wrong side of the time, which meant he couldn’t open,” Cummins said in a Test Match Special interview.
Meanwhile, Australia were bundled out for 132 and handed over a 40-run lead to England on Day 2 of the Ashes 2025 series opener at the Optus Stadium in Perth.