Ashes: Usman Khawaja back in nets; Australia's opening question stays open

Usman Khawaja made advancement towards being disposable for the day-night Ashes Test astatine the Gabba, but Australia are inactive assessing whether his backmost tin grip a afloat five-day match.

The 38-year-old, who missed batting successful the 4th innings of the Perth Test due to the fact that of backmost spasms, returned to the nets successful Brisbane for a cautious grooming session.Khawaja had suffered backmost spasms during the archetypal Ashes Test successful Perth. Monday’s grooming was his archetypal deed since the Pirth Test. He remains abbreviated of afloat fittingness with 3 days near earlier the 2nd Test astatine the Gabba, cricket.com.au reported.After airy moving drills connected the Gabba outfield, Khawaja showed immoderate discomfort during a nett league of astir 30 minutes with the pinkish ball.

He lone faced throw-downs from adjunct manager Michael Di Venuto and played respective propulsion shots connected signifier strips with uneven bounce.At 1 stage, Khawaja gave thumbs-up to physio Nick Jones, according to Brisbane Times. He batted for astir fractional an hour, showing occasional discomfort but appearing much astatine easiness than helium did successful Perth.He besides kept batting for astir 10 minutes longer than what squad doc Leigh Golding had archetypal signalled.

Meanwhile, Travis Head said helium is unfastened to batting successful immoderate presumption arsenic discussions proceed implicit his relation for the Brisbane Test. Head scored a period portion opening successful the Perth Test's 4th innings aft replacing Khawaja astatine abbreviated notice."We've evidently talked astir the replacement for David Warner, and I ever threw my sanction up and ever threw the enactment there. Obviously I bash it successful planetary achromatic shot cricket.

So, I threw myself arsenic an enactment if that's what was indispensable for the squad and champion suited for the team. We've been successful and retired of that speech a just spot implicit the past 2 years. We're backmost astatine it again. So, for me, it's conscionable astir moving retired wherever Pat (Cummins), Steve (Smith), Ron (Andrew McDonald), Bails (George Bailey) and those guys spot maine champion successful the squad and wherever I tin champion lend and however we triumph games of cricket," Head said arsenic quoted by SEN.Marnus Labuschagne supported Khawaja up of the 2nd Test. "Usman's a high-quality player. You look astatine his grounds ... what he's done for Australian cricket, particularly since he's travel back, he's been ace consistent, he's been truly the stone of astatine the apical there," Labuschagne told reporters, arsenic quoted by cricket.com.au.The 2nd Ashes Test starts connected December 4 astatine the Gabba successful Brisbane.