Top order wasted starts - Khawaja

Usman Khawaja admitted Australia's top order batsmen needed to go on from the sorts of starts made on day one in Adelaide to have the desired impact on this Ashes series. In making 53, 47 and 40 respectively, Khawaja, David Warner and Steven Smith missed the chance to bat England out of the day/night Test at Adelaide Oval.

"It was good, but Davey myself and Steve, all of us would've liked to go on with it a bit more, really set the game up and get a big one," Khawaja said. "You can't always do it but it's there in the back of our minds that we want more runs. We did have a good start today but there's more improvement to come from the top of the order. As the series gets on hopefully we'll see that."

Their dismissals meant Pete Handscomb and Shaun Marsh were left to negotiate the toughest of batting conditions for the night, but both were able to survive in their contrasting styles.

"A lot of credit to both of them because it is a tough time to bat," Khawaja said. "Petey batted beautifully, he's obviously very different the way he goes about it, and Shaun as well. It's a pretty tough time to come in, you know that if you can get through that then the next day you can cash in a little bit more. If you lose a wicket there, at night time, it can be very tough work."

Smith was subjected to the most intense of England's hostility, but Khawaja brushed off the notion the captain had been unsettled by it all. "No he's playing beautifully, he got 40 and looked like he was doing it easy as he does a lot of the time," Khawaja said. "It was unfortunate: it came off his pad, off his bat and went back onto the stumps. He looked like he batted really well."