Khawaja's dramatic Ashes return innings ends just before tea on Day 1 of 3rd test

ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Usman Khawaja scored 82 in a dramatic return to the Ashes on Wednesday, helping salvage Australia’s innings around a faltering top order on the opening day of the third cricket test against England.

The veteran batter was rushed back into the lineup on the eve of his 39th birthday to replace Steve Smith, who was ruled out with illness just before the coin toss.

Khawaja survived a dropped catch on 5 before sharing important partnerships of 61 with Marnus Labuschagne and 91 with Alex Carey to lift Australia to 194 for five at tea.

Carey was unbeaten on 48 and Josh Inglis was on 5, surviving the few minutes at the end of the middle session after Khawaja lofted a slog-sweep against spinner Will Jacks directly to Josh Tongue in the outfield.

England picked up wickets in pairs early in the morning and afternoon sessions, with Jofra Archer (3-19) ending a 33-run opening stand in the ninth over and returning to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne (19) and Cameron Green (0) in the first over after lunch.

Khawaja missed the second test with a back injury and may have been considering test retirement after being initially omitted from Australia’s lineup for Adelaide. But his prospects changed quickly when Smith was ruled out because of nausea and dizziness.

Smith led Australia to eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane in the absence of regular skipper Pat Cummins. He hit the winning runs in Brisbane as Australia took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, leaving England needing a victory in Adelaide to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes.

After Cummins won the toss and elected to bat in his first test since sustaining a back injury in July, Australia's new opening partnership of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald was coasting against some fairly wayward bowling from Brydon Carse.

But Archer struck with the second ball of his fifth over, cramping Weatherald (18) with a short ball at almost 148 kph (92 mph) and getting a top edge to fly up for an easy caught behind.

Carse took a wicket on the first ball of the next over as Australia slumped to 33-2, with Head (10) reaching for a drive and brilliantly caught by Zak Crawley low to the ground at short cover.

Khawaja weathered early pressure from Tongue, who was playing his first test match outside England, before driving at a ball that was moving away and edging to second slip, where Harry Brook put down a catch at chest height in the 16th over.

Apart from that, and a couple of edges that didn't carry to the slips, Khawaja was in commanding form despite batting in the unfamiliar position at No. 4. He hit 10 boundaries, including two masterful cut shots that split the field.

Just as his first century since January loomed, though, he slightly mistimed a shot against Jacks and Tongue made no mistake in the deep.

Players on both teams wore black armbands to honor the 15 people killed and dozens injured in an antisemitic attack at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach on Sunday that targeted the Jewish community celebrating the start of Hannukah.

Police described the mass shooting as a terrorist attack inspired by Islamic State.

Flags were flown at half-staff on Day 1 at the Adelaide Oval, where folk singer John Williamson performed his fabled song “True Blue” in a pre-match program that included a moment’s silence, the Indigenous “Welcome to Country” and the national anthems.

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England players line up for the national anthem during play on day one of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Ben Stokes directs his field during play on day one of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Jofra Archer reacts during play on day one of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Zak Crawley celebrates catching Australia's Travis Head during play on day one of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Usman Khawaja plays a shot during play on day one of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Mitchell Starc warms up during play on day one of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia at the Adelaide Oval, in Adelaide, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

England's Ben Stokes walks after coin toss during play on day one of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Australia, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)

Australia's Jake Weatherald, left, and Australia's captain Steve Smith walk off the field after winning the second Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Brisbane, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025.. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl became the fourth-fastest active player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points in the first period of a 6-4 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Draisaitl had the secondary assist on a power-play goal by Zach Hyman at 11:38 of the first period. He sent a pass to Connor McDavid, who slid it in front to Hyman for a one-timer past Stuart Skinner.

“It was a lot of hard work and a lot of people that helped along the way,” Draisaitl said. “These accomplishments are always directed at the player, but there are so many people that play a big part in that.”

Skinner was Draisaitl’s teammate before Edmonton traded him to Pittsburgh for Tristan Jarry on Friday.

“Whenever anyone gets a thousand points, you’re going to congratulate them, but I would’ve rather it not be on me,” Skinner said. “It’s a little bittersweet. I was his teammate for a long time and obviously he’s a great player and makes things happen every single night. Congratulations to him.”

After Hyman’s goal, the Oilers’ bench emptied and congratulated Draisaitl on the milestone in the corner.

Draisaitl scored his 1,001st point 14 seconds later on a goal by McDavid. He finished the game with four assists and now has 416 goals and 587 assists in 824 games. Draisaitl and McDavid assisted on a goal for the 136th time in their career, passing Paul Coffey and Wayne Gretzky for fourth-most by a pair of teammates in NHL history.

“He’s a special player,” McDavid said. “I can’t say enough good things. He does it every year on both sides of the rink. It’s not surprising for him to reach this accomplishment and reach it so quickly with so many great years ahead of him.”

Draisaitl, the No. 3 pick in 2014, became the 103rd player in NHL history, first German-born player and fifth in franchise history to reach 1,000 points.

Draisaitl, a four-time 50-goal scorer, who helped Edmonton reach the Stanley Cup Final the previous two seasons, is the fifth-fastest to reach the milestone among players born outside North America.

“Growing up in Germany, it seems like it was a long ways,” Draisaitl said. “It was surely just a dream. Just super grateful, super thankful and of course a little proud.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (29) celebrates with Zach Hyman (18) and Connor McDavid after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) celebrates with Leon Draisaitl (29) after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Edmonton Oilers' Leon Draisaitl (29) is swarmed by teammates after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)