The Ashes: Why didn’t Usman Khawaja open Australia’s innings against England?

The Ashes 2025-26 started on fiery note in Perth, with Australian pacer Mitchell Starc blowing away England with career-best figures of 7/58. Fellow pacer and debutant Brendan Doggett chipped in with two wickets, to help the hosts bowl them out for 172 in just 32.5 overs.

For England, Harry Brook top-scored with 52, while Ollie Pope scored 46.

However, when the Aussies came out to bat in their first innings, fans were surprised to see debutant Jake Weatherald walking out with Marnus Labuschagne, instead of his regular partner Usman Khawaja.

According to reports, the southpaw was off the field for an extended period of time while the Aussies were bowling. News18 quoted Cricket Australia as saying that he had taken “toilet breaks and stretching”. And with England folding up quickly, Khawaja will have to wait before he comes out to bat, as per the rules.

According to ICC's Test Match Playing Conditions – Clause 24 (Fielder's Absence; Substitutes) – a player has to serve a ‘penalty time’ if he has been absent from the field of play for more than eight minutes.

The player will have to wait to bat for a duration equal to the time they were off. However, if the team loses five wickets before that time is served, the player can come out to bat immediately.

Weatherald, however, lasted just two balls, falling LBW to a vicious yorker from Joffra Archer for nought.

Earlier, Starc started the match with a bang, taking a wicket in the very first over for the 24th time in Tests. He dismissed Zac Crawley, who was caught at slip by Khawaja on the sixth ball, before England could even score a run.

The 35-year-old left-arm pacer took three wickets within his first five overs, including his 100th career wicket, leaving England struggling at 105/4 by lunch on Day 1.

After the break, Starc added four more wickets to his tally, including the crucial wicket of Ben Stokes. England collapsed soon after, losing six wickets for only 67 runs after lunch. The final five wickets fell for just 12 runs.

The team batting first has won all five Test matches at Perth Stadium, since it replaced the WACA. This trend likely influenced Stokes's decision to bat first, departing from his usual strategy of bowling first and chasing a target.

England are aiming to win a Test in Australia for the first time since the 2010-11 series. The Aussies have won 13 and drawn two of its last 15 Ashes Tests at home.