Khawaja Barred from Opening as England Collapse Forces Sudden Change in Australia’s Batting Order

Usman Khawaja was unexpectedly prevented from opening the innings for Australia after a poorly timed exit from the field coincided with England’s dramatic batting collapse on the opening day of the Ashes Test in Perth.

Amid ongoing debate over Australia’s top-order configuration and the decision to restore Marnus Labuschagne to No. 3, plans were thrown into disarray when Khawaja — who had left the field multiple times earlier in the day — was off the ground during the final stages of England’s innings. England’s collapse of 5 for 20 in just 23 balls saw them bowled out for 172, prompting stand-in captain Steven Smith to urgently call Khawaja back, but he returned too late to meet ICC’s substitution-time requirement.

Under ICC regulations, a player who has spent time off the field cannot bat until they have been back on the field for an equivalent duration. As Khawaja had not met that threshold, he was deemed ineligible to open.

This forced debutant Jake Weatherald to face the new ball alongside Labuschagne, although Weatherald may have taken strike anyway. The left-hander, who had not opened a first-class innings in his past 20 matches, lasted only two deliveries, trapped lbw by a blistering full ball from Jofra Archer. His duck echoed Nathan McSweeney’s fate at the same venue a year earlier, also on debut and as a makeshift opener.

The disruption pushed Smith to No. 3 for the first time since 2017 — despite a brief stint as opener in 2024 — before Khawaja eventually came in at No. 4. His stay was short-lived, gloving a sharp Brydon Carse delivery to the keeper for just 2.

The chaotic sequence highlighted how England’s rapid collapse created unexpected tactical complications for Australia — and left their top order scrambling to adjust on a dramatic first day in Perth.