Queensland Bulls skipper Usman Khawaja was dismissed cheaply in the first innings of their Shield match against South Australia, as the battle with Travis Head for a middle order Test spot goes on.
Of course, there are other factors at play, but with the consensus being that there will only be room for one or the other in a fortnight’s time, you could be forgiven for looking at this match like a straight shootout.
The skipper knicked one off the inside edge from the bowling of Daniel Worrall, with Test hopeful Alex Carey taking a sharp catch later today.
READ MORE: Bailey should stand down after failing Paine test, says Tony Jones
READ MORE: Human Rights Watch accuses IOC of sportswashing in case of Chinese tennis star
READ MORE: Ronaldo fires Manchester United into last 16 of Champions League
The Bulls were all out for 299 late on day two at Karen Rolton Oval, after play was cut short yesterday.
Marnus Labuschagne, whose spot in the Test side is under no question, shook off yesterday’s controversy regarding pitch quality to post an impressive century before Head of all people claimed his wicket.
Both Head and Khawaja were named in last week’s 15-man squad for the first Test, and one will likely slot in between Steve Smith and Cameron Green in the batting order.
Khawaja is also an outside shot of opening the batting should he lose that battle with Head, but Marcus Harris is looming as the preferred option.
Khawaja last week spoke about how tough it was to avoid both mental and physical fatigure during “a truckload” of cricket in 2019, as he looks to complete a fairytale return to the Test XI.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!