Usman Khawaja Shines in Ashes Comeback with Impressive Fifty

Khawaja's Stellar Performance in Third Ashes Test

Adelaide [Australia], December 17: Usman Khawaja made a significant impact in his return to the Ashes, scoring a solid fifty that helped Australia reach 194/5 at tea during the third Test against England on Wednesday.

During the second session, Australia lost three crucial wickets. Following Khawaja's dismissal, England appeared to gain a slight advantage, especially as the pitch remained relatively flat. At the end of the session, Australia was just six runs shy of the 200 mark, with wicketkeeper Alex Carey not out on 48, alongside Josh Inglis.

Jofra Archer caused a stir by quickly dismissing Marnus Labuschagne (19) and Cameron Green (0) in a matter of three balls, leaving Australia in a precarious position at 94/4 right after lunch. Khawaja, who had been unbeaten on 41 at lunch, witnessed the collapse from the non-striker's end.

Labuschagne fell early in the second session, hitting a weak cross-bat shot that was caught by Brydon Carse at mid-wicket. Carse then made a stunning diving catch at forward square leg to dismiss Green, who was out for a second-ball duck, giving Archer his third wicket of the day. Following this, Khawaja and Carey capitalized on the flat pitch, scoring runs whenever England made mistakes.

England's captain Ben Stokes introduced Will Jacks to alter the momentum, but Khawaja, with a slogsweep, unfortunately squandered a chance for a century. He ended his innings with a commendable 82 runs off 126 balls, while Josh Inglis joined Carey at the crease.

Khawaja and Carey formed a partnership that yielded 91 runs for the fifth wicket before Jacks finally dismissed the seasoned left-hander.

Earlier in the match, Khawaja and Labuschagne's solid third-wicket partnership helped stabilize Australia's innings after a rocky start, bringing the score to 94/2 at lunch on day one of the third Ashes Test against England.

The pair contributed 61 runs off 90 balls for the third wicket, as Khawaja and Labuschagne settled in and looked confident at the crease. After winning the toss, Australian captain Pat Cummins chose to bat first.

In a significant setback for Australia just before the third Ashes Test, star batsman Steve Smith was ruled out due to illness. Smith had been unwell leading up to the match and was officially sidelined on the morning of the game, with Khawaja stepping in as his replacement.

Current score: Australia 194/5 (Usman Khawaja 82, Alex Carey 48*; Jofra Archer 3/19) against England.