Under testing, overcast conditions, on a pitch that had a considerable amount of green on it, after being put in to bat first, Australia openers David Warner and Usman Khawaja had done brilliantly for the most part of the first session of the Lord’s Test, the second Ashes 2023 Test.
However, a slight brain-fade moment for Usman Khawaja saw him get bowled to fast bowler Josh Tongue while leaving the ball, giving the 25-year-old his first Ashes wicket in what is his career’s only second Test match.
Tongue, who had taken a five-wicket haul on his debut earlier this summer against Ireland, was brought in the side for the Lord’s Test replacing Moeen Ali as England went with an all-pace attack. With Mark Wood not yet fit for a Test match, Ben Stokes had said that Tongue will provide the point of difference in their pace attack with his extra pace than the likes of Broad, Anderson, and Robinson.
But, it with high pace came the risk of being carted away. And with Tongue that was the case as Warner reined into him, cracking him for 3 fours and a six and he leaked 24 runs in his first three overs. Stokes persisted with Tongue and got the rewards right at the stroke of Lunch.
And although today it was Warner who was scoring briskly, getting Usman Khawaja was a big dismissal as Khawaja had been the thorn in England’s side in the first Test in Edgbaston with his traditional, attritional Test match batting. He was doing the same at Lord’s as well, having batted out 69 balls for his 17 runs, being the perfect foil for Warner.
At the start of the 24th over of the innings, Tongue came from around the wicket to Usman Khawaja and delivered a perfect ball. On length and an inswinger, hitting the top of off. Usman Khawaja shouldered his arms, perhaps deciding to leave by believing that the ball will be an outswinger as Tongue had bowled in his initial overs. But the ball swung in, nipped back in significantly and hit the top of the off-stump to dislodge the bails.
Walking back for Lunch, Usman Khawaja would be rueing his brainfade moment. Here watch the video:
First Ashes wicket secured 🔒
Masterful from Josh Tongue ✨ #EnglandCricket | #Ashes pic.twitter.com/pS963Awgop
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 28, 2023
