Australia cricket figures left furious after toilet break chaos in Ashes Test match with England

England chose to bat first in Perth, but Australia seized control immediately, with Mitchell Starc tearing through the visitors for a career-best 7 for 58.

The Three Lions were dismissed for 172, so quickly that Khawaja appeared not to be ready for his opening duties when Starc claimed the final wicket.

Cricket Australia first suggested Khawaja had been off the field for bathroom and stretching reasons, but it was later clarified that he had been suffering from back stiffness.

His time on the sidelines proved crucial. Under the laws of cricket, any player who spends more than eight minutes off the field cannot bat or bowl until they have been back on it for the same amount of time.

Khawaja returned for only seven minutes before England’s innings concluded, rendering him ineligible to open.

That forced debutant Jake Weatherald, who had been preparing to bat at No 5, to face the first delivery of the innings, with Marnus Labuschagne joining him.

The disruption immediately backfired as Weatherald was dismissed for a second-ball duck.

Khawaja still could not bat because he had not served his required time in the field, so Steve Smith was placed ahead of him in the pecking order.

Moody, who played eight Tests for Australia and later coached internationally, was among those who criticised the situation, writing on social media: “Poor management… beyond a joke… like Starc led the attack we needed Uzzie to lead the batting.”

When Khawaja finally emerged, former team-mate David Warner questioned his condition on TV: “He just seems a bit stiff… I sense a little bit of discomfort.”

Khawaja lasted only six balls before edging Brydon Carse for two, leaving Australia 31 for 4 and compounding the sense of disorder around their innings.

Peter Lalor, commentating on Channel 7, said the mix-up reflected a lack of “game awareness”, particularly as Australia had worked hard to construct what they believed to be an ideal batting order.

“Steve Smith was gesturing to the dressing room saying ‘Where is he?’,” Lalor noted.

“It’s the game awareness that’s a real concern.”

Ricky Ponting added that the sequence had robbed Weatherald of the chance to open alongside Khawaja as planned.

“Jake would have been building that relationship all week ahead of facing his first ball in Test cricket," he said.

"That was taken away… hopefully we get the true story of what actually happened.”

Australia later confirmed Khawaja’s absence was linked to back tightness rather than simply a break from the field, but the episode has left a sour taste ahead of day two on Saturday.