Birmingham, June 18 () Former captain Michael Vaughan expressed his worries about the ‘jaded’ England team, saying that the hosts will be “rueing those missed chances” as Australia made a comeback on the second day of the first Ashes 2023 Test, here.
Khawaja’s brilliant 126 not out, his 15th career century and first on English soil, helped Australia finish Day 2 on 311/5, 82 behind the host’s 393-8 declared on Saturday.
Despite concerns over his knee, England captain Ben Stokes managed to bowl seven overs on the second day of the match at Edgbaston, and his dismissal of Steve Smith, trapped lbw, had Australia in a faltering position.
However, the middle order stepped up and provided valuable support to Khawaja. Travis Head scored a fluent 50 and Cameron Green made 38 before the duo fell victim to Moeen Ali, who came out of Test retirement to play in the Ashes.
England’s frustration grew when Stuart Broad ripped out the off stump of the centurion Khawaja on a no-ball, which was a second let-off in quick succession after Jonny Bairstow dropped Carey.
“England will be rueing those missed chances. And on this pitch, which is very flat, my concern is their bodies. They looked jaded and this is their first day in the dirt of a five-match series over six weeks,” Vaughan said on BBC’s Test Match Special.
“I was a bit concerned with Ollie Robinson today. He seemed to go off the pitch a lot. I’m not sure if there is an issue with his ankle.
The problem is this pitch is so slow and hard for the seamers, when you are asked to bowl bouncers, it takes it out of you. If they are going to be playing on these pitches for the next six weeks then some of these seamers are going to be in a hole,” he added.
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