Khawaja’s stand-in century a triumph for Australia’s old problem solver | Geoff Lemon

Injury and illness left Australia with a job that needed to be done at No 5 – Usman Khawaja did it immaculately

There was a moment early in the second day at the Sydney Cricket Ground when Steve Smith looked nailed on for a hundred. Sure, it was a dot ball, and sure, he was on seven at the time. But there was something about the way he stepped into a straight drive back at Stuart Broad, the feet moving perfectly, the timing crisp with no attempt at power, the line so straight that the bowler bent to scoop up the ball. At the ground where Smith made three international centuries in the previous Australian summer, he looked like Smith looks when he is most switched on.

Yet a few hours later, it was Usman Khawaja raising his bat to the cheers of a home crowd. Broad had got the better of Smith for 67, to an uncharacteristic push at a ball that didn’t require one. Khawaja had left the bowling impeccably, defended it resolutely, and taken it on when given the opportunity, in an innings that showed all of the best parts of his game built over the course of his lengthening career.