Khawaja hits unbeaten 91 to put Australia in commanding position...
Friday 5 January 2018 13:28, UK
Usman Khawaja hits his highest Test score against England, Steve Smith puts his catching difficulties behind him, and Mason Crane impresses on debut... here's all you need to know from day two of the fifth Test.
Usman Khawaja hit an unbeaten 91 - his highest score against England - as Australia closed day two of the fifth Test on 193-2, trailing by 153 runs.
Normally an exceptional fielder, Steve Smith has dipped slightly below his high standards, dropping a number of chances in this series.
The Australia captain dropped Alastair Cook twice at the MCG during his mammoth 244 not out and he followed that up here by dropping Dawid Malan at slip off the bowling of Nathan Lyon on day one.
However, he put all those troubles behind him during the morning session on day two, diving low to his left to hold on one-handed off Mitchell Starc to end Malan's four-hour, 180-ball vigil.
England leg-spinner Mason Crane on bowling for the first time in Test cricket: "It was awesome, naturally I was a little bit nervous but I was also really excited. I had great fun out there and I can't wait for tomorrow.
"There were a couple of inside edges that didn't quite go to short leg and outside edges that didn't quite get to slip but that happens, that's the game and you keep plugging away. Hopefully they go my way tomorrow.
"He [Smith] obviously played very well and scored a lot of runs but he is only human . It is awesome to be bowling at some of the best players in the world, that's why we play the game."
Australia seamer Pat Cummins on the hosts' fielding: "Not great, I thought they were going to go and put on 200 after we dropped [catches]. It is actually a pretty tough seeing ground here, I know that isn't a great excuse, but sometimes you just don't pick it up. It happens.
"[Hazlewood's] got a big bruise on his chest. It is just one of those ones, I think he was running pretty fast and sometimes the most easy ones can be a bit harder, the ball is spinning, he was running and your eyes and up and down a bit more. But, yeah, they were two pretty easy chances."
Stuart Broad's two sixes in his innings of 31 took his total to seven at the Sydney Cricket Ground in just 103 runs scored there. Only one player has hit more sixes in Test cricket on the ground...
The Daily Mirror's cricket correspondent Dean Wilson thinks Australia are batting themselves into a solid position in this Test match...
And Steve Smith keeps on batting...
And breaking records...
