Meanwhile at the non-striker\u2019s end, England captain Ben Stokes and Australian opener Jake Weatherald exchanged barbs of their own as Archer returned to the top of his mark.<\/p>\n
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Watch The Ashes 2025\/26 LIVE and ad-break free during play with FOX CRICKET on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cSpit it out if you\u2019re going to say something … (you) finally rocked up.\u201d\u201d Weatherald appeared to also say to Archer.<\/p>\n It left Ponting himself with \u201chairs on the back of his neck\u201d while commentating the moment live on-air, before he himself also \u2018champed\u2019 Archer for his <\/p>\n \u201cWhen I \u2018championed\u2019 him, I could actually hear what Steve Smith said to him in the stump mic,\u201d Ponting said to SEN when reflecting on his on-air commentary.<\/p>\n \u201cSmithy said \u2018champion\u2019, and then that\u2019s just what came out of my mouth … it got me going, and got the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.<\/p>\n \u201cThere haven\u2019t been many games that I\u2019ve commentated that I wish I was back playing again, but I wish I was out there the other night as part of that, because that\u2019s what you miss and what it\u2019s all about.\u201d<\/p>\n A media storm quickly erupted at Archer\u2019s expense after the incident, with Smith hitting him for four and six in the two follow-up balls after contronting his rival.<\/p>\n While the tall quick had been England\u2019s best with the ball in the first innings, he at times still looked to be lacking the pace and energy that all fans \u2014 English or otherwise \u2014 have come to love.<\/p>\n \u201cFor Jofra, he just embarrassed himself, and he embarrassed his team the other night, that\u2019s what I make of that,\u201d Ponting continued.<\/p>\n \u201cTo bowl his fastest spell ever in Test cricket, when Australia\u2019s chasing 60\u2026 it (the ability to bowl that fast) has been there the whole time. It\u2019s been up his sleeve, England have needed him to do it, and he hasn\u2019t been willing to do it.<\/p>\n \u201cDay 3, when they needed him to do it, he rocks up with his pillow under his arm, and that was always going to be a bad day for England from that moment. As soon as anyone saw that it was going to be \u2018Okay, that\u2019s their mindset for the day. They\u2019re just going to rock up and Australia\u2019s going to fall over and we\u2019ll bowl them out\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018THINK THEY\u2019LL PICK HIM\u2019: GREAT\u2019S PREDICTION ON KHAWAJA SELECTION<\/p>\n Usman Khawaja is likely to be selected for the third Test, even though Australia should stick with the swashbuckling Travis Head as an Ashes opener, former Australian captain Michael Clarke believes.<\/p>\n Khawaja was named in the squad for next week\u2019s Adelaide match, after missing the second Test in Brisbane due to ongoing injury problems. He suffered debilitating back spasms during the first Test.<\/p>\n Head smashed an astonishing second-innings century in his absence atop the order in Perth, which saw him retained as an opener alongside Jake Weatherald at the Gabba. Clarke said he would be sticking with Head to open \u2014 but reckons Khawaja will be given a reprieve.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the selectors will pick him,\u201d Clarke told ESPN\u2019s Around The Wicket. <\/p>\n \u201cI think he\u2019ll be back at the top of the order. I don\u2019t know if I would make a change, to be honest.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019ve said before, normally with senior players like that and certainly when you get to that age, you\u2019re selected for big tournaments, either a World Cup or an Ashes series, and at the end of those, your time is done.<\/p>\n \u201cAustralia are 2-0 up. We\u2019ve got someone at the top of the order that scored an unbelievable hundred. I don\u2019t know if they need to go back to that now. I know that might be hard on Uzzy because he\u2019s had a wonderful career and been a big player.<\/p>\n \u201cHis spot wasn\u2019t spoken about before a ball was bowled in this this series, but things have changed. Australia\u2019s dominating, their style of play is working, so I don\u2019t know if I would go back to that.\u201d<\/p>\n Paine backs Khawaja to open in Adelaide | 01:15<\/p>\n Clarke\u2019s call was seconded by former Australian opener Greg Blewett.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m keeping the batting order the same,\u201d Blewett said. <\/p>\n \u201cI think that functioned really well up there for the second Test match so I\u2019m not touching that, although if Usman Khawaja\u2019s fit then they may bring him back, but I\u2019m not touching it.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet fellow great Mike Hussey said that Khawaja should be given an opportunity to reclaim his place.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think about it, before the Ashes series started, Khawaja was at the top of the order,\u201d Hussey told CODE Sports<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cWould that one innings change the whole mindset of the selectors? From him being locked in as the opener for the Ashes series, to one innings later suddenly he\u2019s just out of the team. In my mind, no.<\/p>\n \u201cJust thinking about [the Perth Test] pragmatically, it wouldn\u2019t change my thinking that much.\u201d<\/p>\n Yet Hussey said that he hoped Khawaja would not be given a recall based on sentiment, with the carrot of a fitting farewell at the SCG in the fifth Test.<\/p>\n \u201cIn his mind he might be thinking, \u2018I still want to play for the next year or two\u2019,\u201d Hussey said.<\/p>\n \u201cWho knows? I don\u2019t like farewell Tests because it\u2019s not about you.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about the Australian cricket team and what\u2019s best for Australia. Not for you as an individual. You\u2019re invited to play for Australia.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think you should necessarily get to choose (your time to finish). It\u2019s about the team. The team is the No.1 thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Usman Khawaja in the nets. Picture: Liam KidstonSource: News Corp Australia<\/p>\n HEAD HINT ON BATTING LINE-UP<\/p>\n Travis Head has potentially given a hint as to Australia\u2019s selection plans for the Adelaide Test as Usman Khawaja makes a last-ditch bid to return as opener.<\/p>\n After replacing the injured Khawaja for the second innings in Perth, then holding his place in Brisbane, Head is the incumbent opener alongside fellow South Australian representative Jake Weatherald heading into his home Test beginning Wednesday. He has suggested that he and Weatherald may be walking out together at Adelaide Oval.<\/p>\n If Khawaja is return to the XI from his back injury, it would surely be as opener alongside Weatherald, with Adelaide his second-most successful ground in that role (328 runs at 65.60).<\/p>\n However Australia coach Andrew McDonald argued earlier this week Khawaja has the \u201cflexibility\u201d to pay in the middle order as well.<\/p>\n He was spotted alone in the Allan Border Field nets on Wednesday evening after being named in Australia\u2019s squad.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019ll be doing everything he needs to do to get right. He\u2019s a class player, so even if he hasn\u2019t hit for a while, he\u2019ll still be ready to go,\u201d his Brisbane Heat teammate Matt Renshaw said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re pretty similar people, he\u2019ll deny that until the cows come home, but he\u2019s been great for me. Speaking to him, he\u2019ll do whatever he needs to do.\u201d<\/p>\n McDonald made sure to keep the team\u2019s options open when speaking earlier this week.<\/p>\n \u201cIt worked at this point in time,\u201d he said of the Head-Weatherald combination.<\/p>\n \u201cPink-ball Test at the Gabba, we felt like that combination was right for those conditions and the opposition.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll always ask ourselves questions at the selection table, at our strategy meetings \u2013 what the best line-up is for that point in time?<\/p>\n \u201cEach Test presents a new challenge. We\u2019ve got the red ball in Adelaide \u2013 we haven\u2019t done that too often recently. It\u2019s great that Trav has put his hand up to do that in the past. We haven\u2019t gone down that path a whole lot. We have in this instance, so will we continue to do that? We\u2019ll have to wait and see.\u201d<\/p>\n However a comment made by Head on the Willow Talk podcast may have revealed where Australia is leaning.<\/p>\n Asked about the reception he receives from his home fans in Adelaide, Head replied: \u201cThe only thing about opening the batting is I miss walking out by myself.<\/p>\n \u201cAlex (Carey) gets to enjoy that because they are very supportive and it\u2019s always a great moment that one, walking out to bat.<\/p>\n \u201cIf I am doing it this week again with Jake, we\u2019ll claim him as a South Australian. He came in at an early age, so I think the crowd will be very pumped up to see both of us go out to bat and Kez will get the little carpet appearance at six.\u201d<\/p>\n Australia’s Travis Head and Usman Khawaja.Source: AFP<\/p>\n POMS SNUB AFL PREMIERS<\/p>\n England have reportedly snubbed the back-to-back AFL premiership winning Brisbane Lions twice this summer, instead preferring to take some time away in Noosa. <\/p>\n