Australia batsman Usman Khawaja has branded the Perth pitch for the primary Ashes Take a look at ‘a bit of s***’, regardless of the floor receiving the very best attainable grading from the ICC.
Khawaja batted solely as soon as within the recreation due to again spasms, dropping to No 4 from his regular place as opener and fending Brydon Carse to England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith after he had scored simply two.
There has since been hypothesis that the 38-year-old could also be dropped for subsequent week’s second Take a look at at Brisbane following Travis Head’s spectacular second-innings century at Perth Stadium after his promotion to opener.
And Khawaja’s astonishing feedback is not going to have endeared him to the Australian hierarchy, particularly after the ICC declared the floor ‘superb’
‘Nineteen wickets on the primary day, about 20 folks obtained hit – that’s an excellent wicket, that appears actual truthful?’ mentioned Khawaja, earlier than referring to the 17 that fell on the primary day at Perth a yr in the past in opposition to India. ‘The identical factor occurred final yr, that day one wicket…’
Khawaja went on: ‘Steve Smith is by far the perfect cricketer I’ve performed with. He’s lacking the center of his bat by a great distance, and he doesn’t miss the center of the bat. You may’t actually predict up and down [bounce]. Your fingers can’t catch up.
Australia’s Usman Khawaja has known as the Perth pitch for the primary Ashes Take a look at ‘a bit of s***’
Khawaja is sweating over his place within the crew after Travis Head (above) masterfully opened the batting within the second innings to win the primary Take a look at, which lasted simply two days in Perth
‘The day one wicket is a bit of s***, I’m pleased to say that. They do get higher day two, day three, however day 4 they begin to crack up once more.
‘We all know day two and day three is normally the perfect time to bat. That’s why every time we play at Perth and we win the toss we bat first, hoping that we will bat once more perhaps finish of day two into day three.’
Khawaja was earlier named as a part of an unchanged 14-man squad for Brisbane, with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood nonetheless absent injured.
