Australia vs England 5th Test Day 2: Khawaja leads Australia’s reply after England score 346

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Usman Khawaja 91 Australia England Ashes cricket

Usman Khawaja struck seven boundaries and a six during his unbeaten knock of 91

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Usman Khawaja scored an unbeaten 91 as Australia held their own after England amassed a first innings total of 346 on the second day of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.

Khawaja was well supported by opener David Warner and captain Steve Smith as they made 56 and 44 not out respectively.

Starting off the day on 233/5, England only added 18 runs to their overnight score before Dawid Malan was brilliantly caught by Smith in the slip cordon off the bowling of Mitchell Starc for 62, which came off 180 balls and included six boundaries.

Moeen Ali managed to make 30 before he was caught behind off the bowling of Pat Cummins, while Tom Curran managed to accumulate 39 runs.

With Stuart Broad adding a quickfire 31, England managed to make 346 before being bowled out.

Cummins was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets, while Starc and Josh Hazlewood snapped up two wickets apiece. As for Nathan Lyon, he chipped in with one wicket.

Trailing by 346 runs, Australia were dealt a big blow on the eighth ball of the innings as opener Cameron Bancroft was clean bowled by Broad for a duck.

However, Warner and Khawaja made up for the loss of Bancroft with an 85-run partnership, during which Warner brought up his fifty.

However, shortly after doing so, he was caught behind off the bowling of James Anderson for 56, which came off 104 balls and included six boundaries.

Khawaja and Smith kept the scoreboard ticking with an unbeaten 107-run stand, during which Khawaja registered his half-century and Smith surpassed 6,000 Test runs, before stumps was called.

Khawaja finished on 91 off 204 balls, which included seven boundaries and a six, while Smith remained undefeated on 44 off 88 deliveries, which included three boundaries.

Broad and Anderson claimed one wicket each.

Australia ended day two on 193/2 and will continue batting on Saturday at 10:30 local time or 23:30 GMT (the day before).

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