Steve Smith has learned his fate for the Boxing Day Test after the superstar batter was a late withdrawal at Adelaide Oval on Wednesday, replaced by Usman Khawaja.

Usman Khawaja has fallen agonisingly short of a famous Ashes century, but may have revived his Test career with a remarkable comeback innings in Adelaide.

Usman Khawaja replaced the unwell Steve Smith moments before the toss, guiding Australia through early trouble to reach 94-2 at lunch on day one of the third Ashes Test in Adelaide

Ahead of the third Ashes Test between Australia and England at the Adelaide Oval, players and officials observed a moment’s silence to pay tribute to the victims of the Bondi tragedy, offering condolences to their families and friends.

The third Ashes Test between Australia and England got underway today at the Adelaide Oval. Both teams had announced their playing XIs well before the match but the hosts suffered a blow as their premier batter Steve Smith missed out on the morning of the Test.

The late withdrawal allowed Usman Khawaja a rare opportunity to play in the series, which he has grabbed with both hands, leading Australia on a tricky day’s play thus far.

Steve Smith's vertigo-like symptoms led to his last-minute withdrawal from the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, altering Australia’s lineup. Despite passing a fitness test, persistent nausea and balance issues,

There were concerns that Shaheen Shah Afridi and others might have to travel to Sri Lanka with the Pakistan national team to play a T20I series in January | ESPN.in

Having worked back into the team following a switch from New South Wales to Queensland, Khawaja believed his Test career was over when he was dropped during the 2019 Ashes. But his appetite for runs and his desire to represent Australia never diminished, with Khawaja piling on the runs in domestic cricket as his mental strength and resilience grew.