Usman Khawaja forced to remove banned dove logo from his bat on Day 3 of NZ vs AUS 1st Test
Australian opener Usman Khawaja reignited the drama regarding the black dove sticker on Day 3 of the opening Test against New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington. The left-hander was forced to remove the sticker from his bat.
On Saturday morning, Khawaja had unfortunately cracked his bat during Australia's 2nd innings. While Matt Renshaw ran onto the field with a substitute bat, the 36-year-old had to peel off the sticker, of the dove holding an olive branch, before resuming his innings.
The Test series against Pakistan saw the ICC reject Khawaja's request to wear the dove to express solidarity with Palestine amid the humanitarian crisis with Gaza, deeming it a 'political protest'. However, the Queenslander has continued using it during his net sessions.
Nevertheless, Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley and Test captain Pat Cummins have pledged complete support to the Islamabad-born player. With the veteran wearing a black armband during the series-opener against Pakistan after the ICC banned him from wearing shoes displaying the message "all lives are equal” and “freedom is a human right", the apex body of the sport had censured him again.
Usman Khawaja becomes one of Glenn Phillips' five victims on Day 3
Meanwhile, the southpaw was out for 28 on Saturday as Tom Blundell affected a brilliant stumping off Glenn Phillips' bowling. The opening batter resumed with Nathan Lyon but was the second Aussie wicket to fall in the first session.
With Lyon top-scoring with 41, the visitors were bowled out for 164, setting a daunting 369 to win for New Zealand. The off-spinner had dismissed Tom Latham just before the players went for lunch. Australia snared a massive 204-run lead after bowling the Black Caps out for 179 in reply to their first innings total of 383.
The scheme of things presently has Australia as firm favorites to win the Test and take a 1-0 lead.