Khawaja Confident of Fitness, Questions Perth Pitch

Usman Khawaja is confident of being fit for the second Test in Brisbane but coudl have landed himself in hot water after describing the Perth pitch on day one of the first ashes encounter as “s***”.

Khawaja was unable to open in either innings of the opening Test having initially been caught out by England’s rapid collapse on the first afternoon and then suffering a recurrence after jumping for an attempted catch in the slips on the second day.

With his time off the field having not elapsed when Australia began their first innings, Marnus Labuschagne whent in alongside debutant Jake Weatherald with Steven Smith then forced to move to No. 3.

Khawaja then came out at No. 4 but could only make two runs before edging a rising delivery from Brydon Carse. He was one of 19 wickets to fall on the opening day, which followed 17 on the first day of the corresponding Test against India last year, but the ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle rated the surface “very good”.

“Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit,that’s a great wicket – that seems real fair,” Khawaja said at an event for his Usman Khawaja Foundation,a charity which helps support children from diverse,rural and low socio-economic backgrounds.

“The same thing happened last year in the Indian Test, it’s just that day one wicket, the ball just does not react. Steve Smith’s by far the best cricketer I’ve ever…