With much focus on who would partner Usman Khawaja up top for Australia, the southpaw didn’t open at all in the first Ashes 2025/26 Test. Here’s why.
Why Usman Khawaja didn't open the batting at Perth
As per ICC’s Playing Conditions, if a player is off the field for over eight minutes, they are not be permitted to bowl or bat unless they have spent that time on the field, or their side has batted for that long. As per former umpire Simon Taufel on Channel 7, Khawaja was off the field for 23 minutes, and still had some time in hand before he could walk out to bat.
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As Khawaja entered the field during the end of England's batting innings, the visitors' middle order surrendered in Perth, losing their last five wickets in just 18 balls. That left the opener hanging in the dressing room, with Marnus Labuschagne opening in his stead.
Khawaja was earlier expected to walk in at one down, but Jofra Archer’s dismissal of Jake Weatherald came on just the second ball of the innings. Enough time had not elapsed, therfore forcing captain Steve Smith to walk out at three instead of his usual No.4. He was greeted by a fiery spell of fast bowling from Archer and Gus Atkinson.
1st Test, Australia vs England
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What do the Laws say?
Here’s what the ICC’s World Test Championship Playing Conditions state:
"If a player is absent from the field for longer than 8 minutes, the following restrictions shall apply to their future participation in the match:
"24.2.3.1 The player shall not be permitted to bowl in the match until he has either been able to field, or his team has subsequently been batting, for the total length of playing time for which the player was absent (hereafter referred to as Penalty time). A player’s unexpired Penalty time shall be limited to a maximum of 120 minutes. If any unexpired Penalty time remains at the end of an innings, it is carried forward to the next and subsequent innings of the match.
“24.2.3.2 The player shall not be permitted to bat in the match until his team’s batting innings has been in progress for the length of playing time that is equal to the unexpired Penalty time carried forward from the previous innings. However, once his side has lost five wickets in its batting innings, he may bat immediately. If any unexpired penalty time remains at the end of that batting innings, it is carried forward to the next and subsequent innings of the match.”
Riding on Mitchell Starc’s seven-for, Australia bundled out England for 172 in the first innings of the 2025/26 Ashes. The veteran once again struck in the first over, having Zak Crawley edge one to Khawaja in the slips. There was some resistance from Ollie Pope and Harry Brook, but they too couldn’t hang around for long as all the visiting batters were back in the hut in just 32.5 overs.
In reply, Archer gave England an identical start, trapping Weatherald in front on just the second ball. Smith and Labuschagne then consolidated, with Australia going to tea at 15-1. Khawaja, in all likelihood, will bat at No.4.
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