Usman Khawaja says he has realized a lot from his two underwhelming excursions of England as he prepares for what he calls the hardest check for a top-order batsman.
The 36-year-old opener will likely be integral to Australia’s probabilities of retaining the Ashes when the primary of 5 Tests start in Birmingham on June 16, following the World Test Championship closing in opposition to India at The Oval.
Khawaja toured England in 2013 and 2019 for a meagre return of 236 in six Tests at a mean of 19.66.
He was dropped in 2019 and spent virtually three years on the outer earlier than a triumphant return to the Test aspect that has reaped 1608 runs in 16 Tests at a mean of 69.91, together with six centuries.
“England is, in my opinion, the toughest place in the world to bat for top-three batsmen,” Khawaja mentioned.
A decade in the past, he struggled.
“In 2013 I was quite young and it was a pretty s*** tour if I am being honest. It was tough work. I learned a lot from that tour,” Khawaja mentioned.
“My last series there (in 2019) it was a tough series for batsman. The whole tour will show you that, other than Steve Smith who was on another planet.”
Khawaja mentioned it was a “learning experience” with a few key takeaways.
“If I’ve learned anything it is work hard, train hard and (when) going to England, go with low expectations,” he grinned.
“You are going to fail as a batsman, but when you do score you try to cash in as much as you can.”
It is the problem that awaits in opposition to England maestros James Anderson and Stuart Broad that has Khawaja enthused..
“Anderson and Broad … they are unbelievable bowlers and tough work at the start,” he mentioned.
“That’s what makes it so awesome when you do score runs and you contribute to a winning team, which hopefully I’ll do and others will do over there.
“When you do it in opposition to guys like Broad and Anderson in England, it is simply that rather more satisfying.”
Khawaja opined that Australia had been too “reactive” in dropping players in the past, including himself, after the odd failure.
“I’ve at all times been massive on simply choosing your finest gamers and sticking with them as a result of they will rating you essentially the most runs persistently, and I believe over time in choice for Australian cricket we’ve got chased our tail just a little bit attempting to select gamers in type,” he mentioned.
“Form is momentary. Class shouldn’t be. I believe the brand new selectors, with (chairman) Andrew McDonald up the highest perceive that a part of the sport and therefore there was much more stability in deciding on and choosing gamers, and sticking with them.”
“I’ve been dropped seven occasions in Test cricket and I’ve come again, and there is a motive for that … as a result of I’ve at all times scored runs persistently in first-class cricket and fought my manner again.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
