As Renshaw fell, did an unsung quick expose a Khawaja Ashes plan?

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On a day when Matthew Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne fell cheaply in their final Ashes auditions at the Gabba, an unsung paceman may have just exposed one man who is guaranteed to line up against England in Perth.

While Usman Khawaja built into his innings comfortably, bringing up a Sheffield Shield half-century against a New South Wales attack featuring Test spinner Nathan Lyon, rival quick Ryan Hadley attempted to get under his skin early.

The 26-year-old delivered a well-placed short ball on his first delivery to Khawaja, after the Blues declared at 7-429, which crammed the Queensland veteran on his body. He fended it down, but appeared caught off guard.

Usman Khawaja has long been strong on the ball, but will he be exposed to short stuff come the Ashes?

Hadley followed it up two balls later. It may have been a no-ball, but Khawaja’s deflection popped up towards the slips cordon for a split second.

He was then beaten outside the edge twice to fuller balls without offering much footwork.

England’s expected opening bowling attack of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer – who Khawaja averages 24 and 12 against respectively – have made their names with fast, short-pitched bowling.

If their eyes were on the Gabba, they would have been licking their lips after those first six balls.

As they would have been if they were watching Australia in the West Indies this year, where Khawaja averaged 19.5 across the series and was dismissed by Shemar Joseph – who forced him to retire hurt in 2024 after a bouncer struck him in the head – three times.

It’s a strategy as old as the game itself – soften them up, make them uncomfortable, then lull them into a false sense of security.

But also, the England duo would have been given a lesson in perseverance on Thursday.

Hadley seemed deterred from a plan which looked like it could reap rewards if he persisted and executed. On his next over, he attempted the same introduction, only for Khawaja to anticipate the ploy and bring out his favoured pull shot to dispatch it to the fence.

From there, Hadley went too full and wide, and the classy champion was quick to pounce and dispatch two deliveries to the cover boundary. Nothing short and near Khawaja’s rib cage has been bowled since, and he has looked largely untroubled en route to 60 at the time of reporting.

Usman Khawaja struggled in the series against the West Indies, and was targeted short at times.

But this New South Wales arsenal does not come with the same express pace as Wood and Archer, each capable of sending it down well over 140km/h. Despite the pull shot being a strength of Khawaja’s, it often comes with minimal footwork and more of a body swivel when time allows.

In contrast, Queensland’s Jack Clayton was emphatic with his backfoot movement when he was on just two against Blues’ captain Jack Edwards, hooking him powerfully to boundary.

Could that extra speed and precision be the difference, and expose a weakness against a man who will turn 39 during the Ashes? Or have these instances been anomalies?

Age already suggests the end of his career is nearing, despite his insistence he was yet to determine when that time will come. The sight of 22-year-old Victorian Campbell Kellaway cracking a century at the same time against Tasmania was a promising look to the future.

Earlier, Renshaw almost got his Ashes audition off to the worst possible start – taking off for a sneaky single on his first ball, only to nearly be run out once sent back.

Two balls later, and a leg side clip to the boundary to get off the mark was nearly miraculously caught by wicketkeeper Ryan Hicks.

But while Renshaw had his edge beaten a couple of times by Edwards either side of a rain delay, he gradually gained momentum – leaving more confidently and getting onto the front foot to flick through the leg side.

That was until he was clean bowled by Edwards for 29, before Labuschagne’s golden start to the summer was undone – caught at leg slip for four off Liam Hatcher for four.

What may please selectors in their hunt for their next opener to face England was Khawaja and Renshaw each navigated tricky patches early under cloudy skies in a 94-run partnership.