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Usman Khawaja reflects on the subcontinental career of two halves: “No one sees the difficult times”


There were a 57 in the MCG and a 41 in the New Year test, but otherwise they had been dry months for Usman Khawaja. Not only had he averaged only 20.44 in 10 entries in the Border Gavaskar trophy, but he had only crossed fifty twice in tests in 2024.

But he had received a message from coach Andrew McDonald: ‘Go up to the Sri Lanka tour’. Now, Khawaja has hit 147 not on the first day of that series, scoring Australia while heading 330 by 2 on a first day that rained. This was also Khawaja’s first century since mid -2023, and the 16th of his test career.

“It has been a difficult summer: many people told me how my career should do and what I should do from now on,” said Khawaja, who turned 38 in December. “But Andrew McDonald, even last year, told me:” I don’t care what happens, just make sure to be on the Sri Lanka tour. I love you on the Sri Lanka tour. “

“I am not here for anyone but for the team. I am not only playing the cryket because I have a gluttony to score many races. Century No. 16, 17, 18 is not going to make a difference in my life. I’m going to finish this game , and I have a beautiful family.

Of those 16 hundred, five have come in Asia. Once a nervous batter against the Spin, Khawaja lived a little about how the changes in his game have allowed him to succeed in the continent, in recent years. Now it is only the second batter of Australia, after Alan Border, in having hit centuries in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (Matthew Hayden had also hit the centuries “against these teams, but that against Pakistan had been in Sharjah). Khawaja He said that 2018’s Dubai test, when he hit 85 and 141 against Pakistan, was his turning point to play in Asia.

“It is a two halves contrast, my career in the subcontinent,” Khawaja said. “There are pre-dubai, post-Dubai. There were some low times: my wife Rachel was here [in 2016, when he’d been dropped mid-series in Sri Lanka]And we had many of those difficult times. No one sees that. Everyone see good things. “

Khawaja was not the only Australian batter to reach the triple figures on Wednesday. Steven Smith also scored his 35th Test one hundred.

“But you have to take good things when you get it. It doesn’t produce much. We had one of the best players to play the game, Steven Smith, what was that, 35 tests hundreds? Great as it is, he has only done it 35 times .



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