The Ashes: Usman Khawaja century puts Australia on top despite Stuart Broad’s five-wicket haul | Cricket News

Usman Khawaja scores century in comeback Test as Australia declare on 416-8 on day two in Sydney; Stuart Broad takes 19th five-wicket haul and eighth in the Ashes; England close on 13-0 after tricky 20-minute spell before stumps

Usman Khawaja (Getty Images)

Usman Khawaja completed his ninth Test hundred after being dropped on 28 as Australia made England toil on day two of the fourth Ashes Test in Sydney despite Stuart Broad claiming a five-wicket haul.

Khawaja – playing his first Test since 2019 as a replacement for the Covid-hit Travis Head – reached three figures from 201 balls and was eventually bowled by Broad (5-101) for 137 shortly before Australia declared on 416-8.

That left England a tricky 20-minute spell before stumps which openers Zak Crawley and Haseeb Hameed survived – with Crawley reprieved by a no-ball after edging Mitchell Starc behind on nought.

Stuart Broad (Getty Images)

The day belonged to two 35-year-olds, with Khawaja completing his first Test hundred in almost three years and Broad clinching his 19th five-wicket haul in Test cricket and eighth against Australia.

Khawaja was given a reprieve early in his innings with Joe Root unable to cling on to a catch at slip, via a deflection off Jos Buttler’s glove and thigh, once Jack Leach found the left-hander’s edge, but went on to play the classiest of knocks.

It was another pretty chastening day for England on a tumultuous tour, which was exacerbated by all-rounder Ben Stokes injuring his side while bowling a barrage of bouncers.

Broad was the chief plus point, becoming England’s second-most prolific bowler in Ashes Tests with 125 scalps – above the late Bob Willis (123) and behind only Sir Ian Botham (128) – as he added Steve Smith (67), Cameron Green (5) and Pat Cummins (24) and Khawaja to his first-day dismissal of David Warner (30).

Broad struck twice with the second new ball, having Smith caught by Buttler to snap a fourth-wicket stand of 115 with Khawaja and then forcing Green to edge through to Zak Crawley at slip four overs later, at which point Australia were 242-5.

Steve Smith (PA Images)

However, Khawaja led the rebuild alongside Alex Carey (13), Cummins (24) and Mitchell Starc (34no), clinching his first Test ton in almost three years shortly before the tea interval when he clipped Leach off his pads for three, as his wife and child watched one from the SCG stands.

Australia’s total is 119 more than England’s top score in the series so far – the tourists maxing out at 297 in the second innings at Brisbane – and the hosts will now be confident of pressing for a fourth straight victory in this series despite the possibility of further bad weather over the coming days.

Just 46.5 overs were possible on day one due to wet weather and there were three rain breaks on the morning of day two once Australia resumed on 126-3 – Khawaja beginning on four and Smith six.

Smith passed fifty for the sixth successive Test innings at the SCG but was unable to turn that into a fourth hundred at the venue as he snicked a Broad delivery that angled in and then nipped away behind to a diving Buttler.

Broad then matched Willis’ total of Ashes wickets when Green nicked off, while he surpassed that tally early in the final session when he had Cummins caught behind on review – third umpire Paul Wilson deciding a snorter of a short ball had brushed Cummins’ bat handle.

Broad thought he had dismissed Cummins two overs earlier but the lbw decision was overturned on review with the seamer’s nip-backer from wide of the crease set to bypass the leg stump.

Khawaja added 43 with Carey – who was caught at mid-on after taking on Root – for the sixth wicket, 46 with Cummins for the seventh and then 67 with Starc before his elegant innings was ended when he inside edged a Broad leg-cutter onto his stumps.

No 10 Nathan Lyon then swatted Mark Wood for four and Broad for four and six, with his maximum off Broad triggering Australia’s declaration.