Ashes Test: The opening of the five-match Ashes Test series was a tight affair, with two great sides doing everything they could to take the crucial lead. In the end, Australia took a remarkable two-wicket victory. Chasing 281 in the fourth innings, Australia cleaned up the remaining 174 runs on Day 5 with to Usman Khawaja’s gutsy 65-run effort and skipper Pat Cummins’ cool 44*.
Khawaja was patient and left a lot of deliveries during his knock. His 65 came off 197 balls at a 32.99 strike rate. However, Ollie Robinson was not pleased with Khawaja’s decision to leave one of his half-volleys on off stump. This was the final ball before the break for beverages.
Robinson didn’t appreciate the southpaw’s defensive strategy, and their exchange was recorded on the stump mic:
“Isn’t it a freebie?” Robinson explained. “Half volley, pitch up?” said the referee.
“In the rough, mate,” Khawaja said. “That’s why you’re not a good batsman.”
“Nice to see you say something,” Robinson said.
“Be careful what you say, mate,” Khawaja advised.
During the drinks break, they went back and forth until the seasoned James Anderson pushed his colleague away from the Australian bats. According to reporters on the field, umpire Marais Erasmus met with Robinson following the incident. during this, Robinson offered Khawaja a polite pat on the back before the game restarted during the drinks break.
In the first innings, after taking Khawaja’s wicket, the right-arm bowler gave him an impassioned send-off. The 29-year-old, however, justified his behaviour, claiming that things transpired in the heat of the moment and that he didn’t care how he was regarded outside.
“I don’t really care how it’s perceived,” Robinson remarked of the first occurrence. “This is the Ashes, and this is professional sport. What can you manage if you can’t take that?” the lanky pacer asked during the news conference.
For cricket today live, cricket championship live, daily cricket live, all cricket current score, cricket updates live, test cricket score, latest cricket news, cricket daily today, all cricket current score, cricket tournament live, cricket updates live score, daily cricket score, cricket daily and other cricket news follow Livematchupdates.com.
