England captain Ben Stokes formulated a masterplan to get rid of the defiant Usman Khawaja on day three of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. The gun all-rounder limited all the scoring options for the left-hander as Ollie Robinson yorked him to give England a massive breakthrough, ending his 321-ball vigil.
With Australia nearing England's first-innings total of 393 and Khawaja looking immovable, Stokes showed desperation. The 32-year-old placed three catchers each on the off and on side as the southpaw looked to go inside and out. However, Robinson's blockhole delivery meant that the off stump was pegged out of the ground, ending a handy 34-run stand with the visiting captain Pat Cummins.
The 36-year-old started day three at 126, but could only add 15 runs to the total. However, Khawaja's knock of 141 ensured that England took only a slender lead of 7, which might have been a big one if not for the left-hander's hundred. It's worth noting that Khawaja got a reprieve when Stuart Broad overstepped on day two when he managed to hit the top of off.
Usman Khawaja shared two solid partnerships with Travis Head and Cameron Green
With David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, and Steve Smith failing to make significant contributions, Australia's middle-order batters stood up. Khawaja added 72 with Travis Head, who made a brisk half-century, followed by 90 with Cameron Green, who became Moeen Ali's second victim.
The visitors ended day two at 311-5, trailing by 82 and added 75 in the first morning before being bowled out. England came out to bat and are effectively 35-2, losing their openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett cheaply.
