A back injury to the left-handed batsman means he will not feature in the pink-ball match in Brisbane. However, no replacement has been announced. Khawaja will travel with the team as he continues his rehabilitation to be fit and available for the rest of the series.
For those unfamiliar, Khawaja was batting at number 4 in Australia’s first innings in Perth when Marnus Labuschagne opened with debutant Jake Weatherald. As far as the second innings is concerned, Khawaja did not come to bat. Travis Head, who scored a whirlwind 123 out of 83replaced Khawaja at the top of the rankings in the chase.
Talking about the ongoing series, Australia recorded a dominant win in Perth to take a crucial 1-0 lead. Mitchell Starc played in both innings and finished with a 10-wicket haul to lift the Player of the Match award. Notably, the Three Lions had secured a 40-run lead in the first innings. However, that did not stop the hosts restricting the English in their second innings before giving chase.
The second Test in Brisbane will be a pink-ball encounter. It seems very likely that Head will get the chance to open despite not opening often in his red-ball career. The Gabba Test will start on Thursday, December 4. Australia will be keen to extend their lead and ensure their winning record in home Tests since the 2010-11 season remains intact.
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