“He was a bowling all-rounder last year, he’s had a couple of niggles and to his credit he’s worked away in the batting and upskilled there. He’s probably surprised a few of us.”
Australia has endured a carousel of openers since David Warner’s 2024 retirement, with Khawaja expected to follow suit in the near future.
While it’s premature to declare Salzmann the 38-year-old’s heir apparent after one innings, he looked more than capable of handling the new ball in a sign he could emulate another all-rounder-turned-opener in Shane Watson.
Steve Smith salutes for his century.Credit: Getty Images
But Khawaja has refused to rule out playing beyond the Ashes.
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“I just want to play cricket and enjoy it, and when the time comes it’ll be up. It’s the circle of life,” Khawaja said.
“To win another Ashes and retain the Ashes is the goal, and then we’ll see what happens. Everything that has a beginning has an end, so at some stage it will, and I’m going to try and enjoy it as much as I can.”
Salzmann’s dismissal brought Steve Smith to the crease for his first innings since returning from New York.
Despite taking 22 balls to get off the mark, he ultimately tormented the Queensland attack and clipped anything full off his pads brilliantly.
Perhaps no stroke would have pleased the champion more than a lavish straight drive off great mate Marnus Labuschagne.
Three-straight boundaries in one James Bazley, a deft late cut and a pair of uppercuts were among his final session highlights, before falling for 118.
“By his own admission he was a little bit scratchy for his first 15 balls, I don’t think he’s hit many balls in New York until the last week or so. But there was one off his pads, and it was just like a click of the finger, and he was off and running,” Patterson said.
“The bat looked like an extension of his arm again like it does when he’s at his best. He’s the best problem-solver in the game.”
But as the Blues took on the Bulls’ attack to finish the day 5-349, incumbent Test opener Sam Konstas let a golden chance slip.
He had holstered the audacious ramps and extravagant strokes, looking solid on the front foot before shouldering arms to Kerr from around the wicket to have the top of his middle stump clipped for 10.
Given the rain circling Brisbane, with the first day washed out, this was likely Konstas’ final opportunity to press his Ashes case, although his start to the Shield campaign (81 runs at 16.2) had likely already sealed his fate.
The 20-year-old has been a lightning rod for scrutiny since his Boxing Day heroics last year, but Patterson was confident he would emerge from this slump.
“It’s a really tough one – none of us have been through what Sam’s been through. He’s going through something none of us have, with reaching that mountain top on Boxing Day to trying to figure things out,” Patterson said.
“I’m sure it’s taken up some space in his brain this Ashes series, and it’s hard not to when every article is written about him.
“He’s lining the ball up well, it was just a misjudgement today. He’ll figure it out, he’s too good a player not to.”
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