The Pakistan-born batter was playing his first Test after the 2019 Ashes series in England in place of performing Travis Head, isolated because of COVID-19.  Khawaja went on an unbeaten break with 102 off 202 balls with captain Pat Cummins on 15.

Khawaja made 171 against England in Sydney in 2018, on a ground where he played his early cricket before moving to Queensland.

Khawaja had a let-off on 28 before lunch when Joe Root fumbled a good chance at slip from the bowling of Leach and he went on to punish the beleaguered tourists. In a possible chance, Khawaja’s nick deflected off wicketkeeper Jos Buttler’s gloves but Root at slip had time to react and get his hands in the right place. But the chance was not capitalized on.

Khawaja’s impressive knock solidified Australia’s first innings when Broad knocked out Steve Smith and Cameron Green in a double breakthrough after lunch. Broad hit twice on the second new ball, removing the dangerous Smith for 67 and young all-rounder Green for five.

Broad, after dismissing David Warner on the first day of his 13th Test, declined after reviewing a close LBW shot when Smith shot just a few balls before he was caught in the same over.

During his knock Smith became Australia’s seventh-highest Test run-scorer, passing current team coach Justin Langer’s 7,696 runs. He now has scored 7,734 runs at 60.89. Broad followed up with the wicket of the tentative Green, who lunged forward and got a thick edge to Zak Crawley at third slip. It continued a run of low scores in the series.

In another blow for England, star all-rounder Ben Stokes pulled up bowling his 14th over clutching his left side after a short-pitched delivery to Smith and immediately left the field for treatment.

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