Usman Khawaja, Travis Head both fail as they battle to win Test No.5 batting spot
Queensland Bulls skipper Usman Khawaja was dismissed cheaply in the first innings of their Shield match against South Australia, but so was Travis Head as their battle 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 Bulls skipper knicked one off the inside edge from the bowling of Daniel Worrall, with Test hopeful Alex Carey taking a sharp catch behind the stumps.
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Head essentially had the chance to cement his Test spot with a big score but he was out for 8 in his innings.
The Bulls were all out for 299 late on day two at Karen Rolton Oval, after play was cut short on day one.
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.
Usman Khawaja after being dismissed during Queensland's Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia. Getty
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.
