LONDON: With a battling opening stand, Usman Khawaja and David Warner have given Australia a realistic chance of overhauling the very substantial target of 384 set for them to win. If it is reached it will be a record at the Kia Oval where the previous highest score to win was 263.
In addition to that it will be the second highest total in an Ashes series – and the sixth highest by any team anywhere – to chase successfully after 404 for three at Headingly in 1948 under Sir Donald Bradman’s captaincy on his last tour of England when Australia remained unbeaten throughout the tour.
The truncated fourth day’s play ended an hour after lunch with Australia on 135 without loss, they require a further 249 with all wickets intact for a 3-I series win. England on the other hand need the ten wickets hoping the rain, which has been forecast again, stays away and gives them at least a 2-2 drawn series, having failed to regain the Ashes.
Khawaja and Warner began their task with caution knowing that with two days remaining it was imperative to keep wickets intact. The two left-handers saw off the morning session scoring 75 by lunch as they gradually picked up the scoring rate keeping pace with each other with Khawaja on 39 and Warner on 30.
They played their shots more freely after the break and Warner reached 40 with a powerful straight drive off Anderson. Mark Wood was brought into the attack for the first time in the day for the 33rd over but neither he nor any of the other four bowlers used seemed to make an impression on the batsmen.
They brought up the hundred of the partnership for the first time in this series and Khawaja reached his 24th Test half century steering Wood past gully for his fourth 4, from 110 balls. Warner then followed with his 36th Test half century from 90 balls with 7 fours. They continued with their stroke play and Khawaja’s delicate late cut off Joe Root saw him to 60.
Root conceded three fours in one over with two of them consecutively hit by Warner as he reached 58 before rain stopped play for the day.
Earlier, resuming on the fourth morning on 389 for nine, England’s two tail-end batsmen could only extend the total to 395 before James Anderson fell without adding to his overnight score of 8. The review by third umpire confirmed he was lbw to Todd Murphy giving the off-spinner his fourth wicket of the innings for 110.
Meanwhile, Stuart Broad had added to his overnight score of 2 with a hit for six, his last scoring shot in Test cricket having announced his retirement at the end of the third day’s play.
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