Usman Khawaja’s series-opening Ashes century has helped purchase Australia’s selectors time for a managed transition on the prime of the Test workforce’s order.
Change is looming for the nationwide workforce, with David Warner planning to retire from Test cricket on the SCG in January in opposition to Pakistan, assuming he scores sufficient runs to make it that far.
What Australia’s selectors have been eager to keep away from is shedding Khawaja and Warner on the similar time, or being compelled into shifting the pair on in fast succession.
Both are aged 36, and Khawaja is sensible this may nearly actually be his ultimate Ashes tour.
But Saturday’s century is proof he nonetheless has loads of runs left in him, with age proving no barrier for the time being.
There is not any signal retirement is imminent, with captain Pat Cummins backing Khawaja and different ageing stars to play on whereas they’re nonetheless performing.
Khawaja averaged 17.78 in England earlier than the beginning of the present Ashes collection and was dropped twice earlier than on journeys there, in 2013 and 2019.
But he’s now all however assured of his spot for the remainder of this tour, and it’s laborious to see him fading away in a house summer time in opposition to Pakistan and West Indies.
His eye stays pretty much as good as ever, whereas he’s driving and pulling the ball higher now than at another level in his profession.
The left-hander performed each photographs freely as he went to stumps not out on 126 at Edgbaston on Saturday, with Australia 5-311 in reply to England’s 8(dec)-393.
Australia’s selectors wish to transition one opener in to switch the outgoing Warner, giving that participant time to settle earlier than Khawaja exits.
Marcus Harris is seemingly subsequent in line, with Matt Renshaw additionally on this Ashes tour as a back-up bat. Cameron Bancroft is an alternative choice.
Khawaja stated on Saturday the readability about his future, and the relaxed nature that got here with it, had helped him flip his worldwide profession round after it appeared over when he was axed in the course of the 2019 Ashes.
“In my heart, I probably know it’s going to be my last tour in England,” he stated.
“It’s just about enjoying it. My wife’s been awesome to me, been my rock throughout my career.
“Just like me, each Test match is a bonus for her as a result of we thought my profession was over.
“Herself and our young (children) keep me grounded and make me realise there’s a lot to life … after I stop playing cricket.
“That sort of perspective simply makes it loads simpler for me to go and luxuriate in it as a lot as doable.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
