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Khawaja unfazed by spin dismissal

Australia's first drop says he is not concerned by his dismissal at the Gabba as he prepares for the Adelaide day-night Test

Australia first-drop Usman Khawaja says he isn't bothered by his dismissal to England off-spinner Moeen Ali in the first Test that once again raised concerns about his ability to play elite spin bowling.

Doubt around Khawaja's capability of countering off-spin bowling resurfaced on day two at the Gabba when he was out lbw to Moeen from just the second ball he faced from the allrounder.


Having been beaten on the outside edge by a ripping off-break that bounced and gripped from the first delivery he faced from Moeen, Khawaja was trapped in front next ball by a delivery that didn't spin and was given out for 11.

It was the 12th time in 39 Test innings the Queensland captain had been dismissed to off-spin bowling in what appears to be his Kryptonite in the five-day game. 

While he's had his struggles away from home, where he averages 27.21 and just 14.62 in five Tests in Asia, Khawaja has been imperious in Australia on faster wickets that have become a graveyard for visiting spin bowlers.

So when he fell so swiftly to Moeen in the first Magellan Ashes Test of the summer, fears his away record and issues with spin bowling had secretly found its way into his baggage and through customs.

Ponting pinpoints Khawaja's technical flaw

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting identified a technical flaw in Khawaja's approach to spin bowling but the batsman himself is not concerned by his dismissal or how he plays the slow bowlers in Australia.

"Sometimes you just get out," Khawaja said in Adelaide today. "It's cricket, it's always going to happen.

"It doesn't really bother me too much but I have a pretty simple game plan – watch the ball and hit it.

"I don't think there's anything too drastic I have to worry about, it's one game.

"Every time I go out there I watch the ball and score runs, I'm going to do exactly the same thing going forward.

"In Australia, spin is always a scoring option. You see a spinner on and you're quite happy.

"The fasties, the big nasty quickies are always the dangerous one, especially in a pink ball game when it's doing a bit.

"We all welcome it, we're all ready for the challenge."

Classic Ashes flashback, with Steve Waugh

Khawaja entered the first Test in fine form having accumulated 347 runs in three JLT Sheffield Shield matches including twin half-centuries against NSW in Brisbane, which included Australia's premier slow bowler, off-spinner Nathan Lyon.

Australia coach Darren Lehmann, who publicly guaranteed Khawaja's spot in the summer after he was dropped in Bangladesh, said he isn't alarmed by his No.3's dismissal at the Gabba.

"Stats will say yes (his work against spin is a concern), but for us he played (NSW Blues off-spinner Nathan) Lyon really well in the Shield game (at Allan Border Field)," said Lehmann.

"He missed that one against Moeen and hopefully he doesn't do that again.

"He's been the form batsman for us in the Shield comp, so one knock doesn't make a summer."

The best moments from the Gabba Test

Ponting, whose injury in the Sydney Ashes Test of 2011 allowed Khawaja make his Test debut, said he spotted a weakness in the 30-year-old's game against spin but is confident he can find a solution.

"There's no doubt there's a technical flaw there somewhere," Ponting told cricket.com.au on day two at the Gabba.

"I think he makes two pronounced movements; he makes an initial movement forward and across, which is similar to what I used to do. And then he makes another movement into the ball, which gets his head outside the line of the ball, hence he misses the straighter delivery.

"There's something there that can be coached and talked about and worked upon, because he's got out quite a few times now (to off-spinners).

"I love Usman as a player, I always have and always will. There's just that technical deficiency there that needs to be sorted."

2017-18 International Fixtures

Magellan Ashes Series

Australia Test squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Jackson Bird, Chadd Sayers.

England Test squad: Joe Root (c), James Anderson (vc), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Gary Ballance, Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Mason Crane, Tom Curran, Ben Foakes, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ben Stokes, Mark Stoneman, James Vince, Chris Woakes.

First Test Australia won by 10 wickets. Scorecard

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21