ENG vs AUS| 'Unfazed' Usman Keeps Australian Hopes Alive Amidst England's Dominance

Usman Khawaja has looked rock-solid in the middle [Source: Twitter]

The second session of day two of the first Ashes Test witnessed a proper see-saw battle between England and Australia, with the latter finishing on 188 for 4 at Tea. Although Australia lost the crucial wicket of Travis Head, opener Usman Khawaja stood like a rock to save his side from a possible collapse. 

Talking points

Head and Khawaja treat Moeen Ali as a scoring opportunity

Travis Head departed for a quick-fire fifty [Source: AP]

When the second session began, the unbeaten batters Travis Head and Usman Khawaja had an uphill task to bring the Australian innings back on track. To make things tough for the visitors, England attacked Head with a barrage of short deliveries around his body straightaway. 

However, the stylish batter from South Australia managed to keep the English seamers at bay, going after Moeen Ali to keep the scoreboard ticking. On a similar note, Khawaja, who has looked rock-solid right from the beginning, also took on Ali to add some quick runs to his tally. Their aggressive batting against the lead English spinner helped Australia breach the 150-run mark within just a few overs into the session. 

Ben Stokes' bold captaincy pays off

Ben Stokes has been proactive as the captain [Source: AP]

Despite the Australian batters going berserk against Ali, England captain Ben Stokes persisted with the off-spinner at one end, setting an attacking field for him. This move eventually paid off, as Ali lured Head into a mishit, eventually dismissing him in this process. His departure led to an exponential downfall in Australia's scoring rate, preventing them from breaching the 200-run mark in the post-lunch session. 

Jonny Bairstow's poor keeping disappoints England

After having a great day with the bat, England's keeper-batter Jonny Bairstow had a poor outing with the gloves, as his twin missed opportunities led his side down towards the backend of the session. 

Immediately after dismissing Travis Head, Moeen Ali managed to beat Cameron Green with his flight, as the batter stepped out of the crease only to find himself vulnerable to a certain stumping. However, Bairstow fumbled big time, failing to collect the ball and dislodge the bails in time, giving the promising all-rounder a priceless lifeline. 

Bairstow further went on to drop Khawaja off Joe Root at the fag end of the session, adding salt to England's injury. His ordinary performance with the gloves highlighted his lack of match practice, as he was out of action for a long period due to a freak injury. 

Expectations

With the ball turning and keeping low at times, English spinners, particularly Moeen Ali, will play a vital role in the final session. However, Australia have a solid player of spin in Khawaja, who should look to bat long and get his team closer to England's first innings total of 393 runs. 

Brief Scores

Australia (1st innings): 188/4 (61)
Usman Khawaja 84* (176), Travis Head 50 (63), Cameron Green 21* (47);
Stuart Broad 2/31 (12), Ben Stokes 1/6 (3)

Australia trail by 205 runs.