And Then, With One Bound, He Was Free

GH on the comeback king

The dropped catch is usually interpreted in terms of the guilty conscience of the fielder. They’ll be feeling terrible about that. They’ll be hoping it isn’t too costly. The dropee, not so much. Yet, around 11.15am at Adelaide Oval today, it was tempting to eavesdrop on Usman Khawaja’s thoughts.

Having slipped out of Australia’s XI, Khawaja had that morning slipped back in, Steve Smith’s dizziness providing an early birthday present. The day had dawned with him in the nets, making the wangers work hard as he intrigued the passers-by before Smith’s absence was confirmed. There had been a case for reinstating Beau Webster, amid temperatures where extra bowling might be handy; in the end, the like-for-like batter-for-batter swap had been preferred.

Delete one of the above

Still, for his first half hour at the crease, it had been the Khawaja grown familiar since the 2023 Ashes, during which he has only thrice passed 50 - hunched, hemmed-in, slow-handed, flat-footed, like a constipated old man shuffling round in his slippers. Against pace bowlers this year he has averaged 15; against bowling from round the wicket, he has shaped up almost on the perpendicular. Now here he was, the unexpected recipient of some extra rope, getting tangled in it again. An anxious single; a late leave that took the outside edge; a miscued pull into the back pad; as he snatched at his twenty-eighth ball, a wideish half volley from the lively Josh Tongue, failure appeared almost foreordained. Then Harry Brook, moving to his left at second slip, parried a chance he should have accepted.