Khawaja, Lyon and England’s top order: Who’s under the most pressure heading into Brisbane?

After months of anticipation, the first Ashes Test was won and done in just 141.1 overs.

Australia’s eight-wicket win inside two days sparked a week of post-mortems and banter among supporters, but the truth is both teams will still be wondering if the other is really any good.

Here are the five big talking points going into the second Test ahead of the first pink ball being bowled at 2pm local time (3pm AEDT) on Thursday at the Gabba.

Will Australia drop Usman Khawaja?

A bad back and two runs off six balls in Perth were far from ideal for the 38-year-old opener. Add in a please-explain from Cricket Australia after labelling the day one Optus Stadium pitch a “piece of shit” and it hasn’t been a great fortnight for Khawaja.

Early mail suggests that if Khawaja is fit, he is likely to play at the Gabba. The fact that he batted once in Perth might save him. But if Travis Head mounts a push behind closed doors to remain at the top of the order after his swashbuckling century, Khawaja’s Test career could be in jeopardy.

Coach Andrew McDonald has had a chance to kill speculation but declined to confirm Khawaja’s place in the XI. Australia’s main training session on Tuesday will serve as Khawaja’s biggest fitness test. The risk of the injury flaring up again remains a concern, but he believes he will be fine.

With Mitch Marsh being discussed privately as an option for later in the series, Khawaja may get a tap on the shoulder before the Sydney Test. He averages 34.8 from three pink-ball Tests at the Gabba, and 41.3 overall as an opener in day-night matches.

Will Nathan Lyon play?

Since debuting, the spinner has never been left out of a Test match in Australia. Could this be the first?

The fact he bowled only two overs in Perth will weigh on selectors, but so will his excellent overall day-night record (average of 25.62). Lyon did not play the last pink-ball Test in Kingston due to a seaming pitch and a pink Dukes ball that made batting a nightmare.

It would be a surprise if Australia opted for another fast bowler or slotted Beau Webster – who also bowls off-spin – in at No.8, but having already ripped off the BandAid in the West Indies, they may be tempted to make another big call for the day-night match in which radical tactics could pay rich dividends.

Stephen O’Keefe went into bat for Lyon last week, adamant he could be even more of a weapon in a day-night Test.

A quick first Test and a long break have left Australia’s fast bowlers fresh, which works against Lyon. However, the smart money is on Lyon staying in the XI given this selection panel is more conservative than most.

Are Australia’s batsmen still under pressure?

With Head scoring 43 per cent of Australia’s runs in Perth, several others in the top six have barely dipped a toe into the series.

Jake Weatherald looked better in the second innings but still faced just 36 balls in the match. His 23 runs on debut was more than Nathan McSweeney managed last year (10), but he needs a stronger showing at the Gabba to cement his spot.

Alex Carey top-scored with 26 in the first innings, while Cameron Green faced more balls (50) than any Australian on day one, but both will want a greater output in Brisbane. England’s fast men opened up some wounds in Perth, and they have not yet healed.

Will England’s batsmen swallow their pride?

The overwhelming consensus from England players and pundits is no. In a pink-ball match, there is every chance they will go harder, despite losing 20 wickets in 67.3 overs in the first Test.

England’s batters were hammered for driving on the up in Perth – a cardinal sin on bouncy surfaces in the west – and can expect similar conditions at the Gabba, with both keepers standing well back.

The toss will be fascinating. This England team is known for electing to bowl first but chose to bat in Perth when given the option. If they bat first in Brisbane, England could try to blast away from ball one, make as many runs as possible in 60 overs, then unleash their quicks at Australia under lights.

Joe Root’s eight runs across both innings were his fifth-worst return in a Test in which he has batted twice. In the four Tests in which he scored fewer, he made 10, 194, 57 and 126 runs in the matches that followed.

Meanwhile, Zak Crawley is staring at the prospect of three consecutive ducks in the first over of an innings. However, he is the embodiment of Bazball and is likely to keep his place for at least a few more Tests, given the lack of quality openers in the squad.

Is it do or die for England?

Yes. Not since 1954-55 have England overturned a 1-0 deficit to win an Ashes series in Australia.

In that series, they were thrashed by an innings and 154 runs in Brisbane before winning the next three Tests to seal a 3-1 triumph after a draw in Sydney.

In England, they overturned 1-0 deficits in 2005, 1981 and 1956. But going 2-0 down in Australia? That could be fatal.

With Mark Wood out and Jofra Archer’s pace dropping by six kilometres per hour in the second innings, England need something special to stay in the fight.

Otherwise, it could be a brutal few weeks.

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