Sydney, Jan 8: Usman Khawaja’s stunning return to test cricket continued Saturday with a blistering century in Australia’s second innings on day four which led the hosts to 265-6 declared and set England an unlikely 388 runs to win the fourth Ashes test.
Openers Zak Crawley and Haseeb Hameed survived a nervous 11 overs in fading light to get England safely to stumps at 30 without loss.
Khawaja, who scored 137 in the first innings in his first appearance since the 2019 Ashes series in England, headlined another dominant day for Australia with an unbeaten 101 off 138 balls as part of a 179-run partnership with Cameron Green.
It was just the third time that twin centuries have been made at the Sydney Cricket Ground with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting the last man to score two centuries in an SCG test – 2006 vs. South Africa. Green (74) made a welcome contribution for Australia, which had sunk to 86-4 earlier in the day.
The record successful fourth innings chase at the SCG is 288 runs, which was achieved by Ponting’s Australia in the same 2006 test against South Africa.
For England, Crawley (22*) and Haseeb (8*) helped give England a glimmer of hope that it may yet save the game and achieve its best result so far in the series.
Earlier, Spinner Jack Leach took four wickets for England, including taking Green and Alex Carey off the final two balls of Australia’s innings. Leach (4-84) also took Marcus Harris (27) and then got the prized wicket of Steve Smith for 23, bowling the star batsman with a delivery that kept low to reduce Australia to 86-4.
Mark Wood, who has troubled all of Australia’s batsmen with his pace this series, got the wickets of Warner (3) and Labuschagne (29), both caught behind by Ollie Pope.
Resuming Saturday at 258-7, England could only muster another 36 runs as Nathan Lyon, then Scott Boland quickly mopped up the lower order to establish a first-innings lead of 122 runs. Lyon (2-88) struck in the third over the morning, teasing Jack Leach into a big shot but was easily caught by Pat Cummins for 10.
Boland finally ended Jonny Bairstow’s defiant innings at 113. Bairstow faced 158 balls, hitting eight boundaries and three sixes. Boland then had Stuart Broad caught behind for 15 to end the innings. (AP)
