A dramatic first day of the Ashes was overshadowed by a bizarre controversy as Australian batsman Usman Khawaja was barred from opening the innings following a toilet break, leaving former great Tom Moody furious.
The Controversial Delay
The incident unfolded during England's first innings at the crease. Khawaja left the field at the conclusion of the 29th over and did not return until the 33rd over, spending a total of 19 minutes off the field. During his absence, England lost three crucial wickets.
Initial reports from Cricket Australia suggested the delay was due to 'toilet breaks and stretching'. However, it later emerged that the opener was actually managing an issue of 'back stiffness', which contributed to the lengthy delay.
The Inflexible Law and Its Consequence
The complex laws of cricket state that if a player is off the field for more than eight minutes, they cannot bat or bowl until they have spent an equivalent amount of time back on the field.
This rule proved decisive. After Khawaja returned, Mitchell Starc took the final two English wickets, ending the innings. However, Khawaja had only been back on the field for seven minutes—one minute less than required. This meant he was deemed ineligible to bat immediately.
Cameras captured stand-in captain Steve Smith animatedly appealing the decision with the umpires, but to no avail. Consequently, Test debutant Jake Weatherald was forced to take the first ball of Australia's innings alongside Marnus Labuschagne, who was originally slated to come in at number three.
A Legend's Furious Reaction
The blunder did not go unnoticed by Australian cricket royalty. Former World Cup winner and coach Tom Moody launched a scathing attack on the team's management.
Taking to social media, the 60-year-old legend fumed: 'Poor management… Beyond a joke… like Starc led the attack we needed Uzzie (Khawaja) to lead the batting.' His comments highlighted the frustration felt by many fans, seeing a key batsman sidelined at a critical moment in a pulsating Ashes contest.
