USMAN PROVES METTLE
USMAN Khawaja has hit back at critics who label him “lazy” only at his best when it suits, as Shane Warne declared the Australian No. 3’s century at the SCG yesterday should guarantee he plays in all conditions this year.
Axed repeatedly in the subcontinent, Khawaja yesterday smoked a spellbinding 171 against England’s spinners at his spiritual home ground, before the Marsh brothers, Shaun (98 not out) and Mitchell (63no), turned the screws on England with a milestone 100-run family partnership.
Australia will start day four 133 runs in front, with six wickets in hand.
Raised in the shadows of the SCG in an overcrowded apartment block after he arrived from Pakistan as a child, Khawaja, 31, celebrated his maiden Ashes and SCG ton in emotional fashion, acknowledging his mother, Fozia, and girlfriend, Rachel.
“It’s awesome,” Khawaja said. “The SCG was where I grew up playing cricket for NSW and an Ashes century is something I wanted for a long time and hadn’t been able to achieve. So it’s really satisfying.
“It’s elation. You don’t get to celebrate Test centuries too much unless you’re Steve Smith so you’ve got to enjoy them when they come.
“My mum and Rachel were sitting in a little box section, my mum wearing a pink hijab.
“My mum always supported me. She’s someone I could lean on through all the good and bad times and Rachel is exactly the same. I knew they were up there and I was paying tribute to them.”
The past few months have been among Khawaja’s most challenging. He dealt with being benched for India and dropped after one Test in Bangladesh, then faced criticism about his body language in this series, as he made two 50s but could not produce a big innings — until yesterday. Australia went to stumps yesterday in complete command at 4-479.
But Australia heads to the UAE to play Pakistan in two Test matches later this year and it remains to be seen how much stock selectors will put in yesterday’s taming of England’s spinners.
Khawaja said at the start of the summer he believed being chopped and changed in the subcontinent had a negative impact on his ability to get into stride and yesterday said he hoped his big Ashes day out had proven critics wrong and made a point with selectors.
“It’s disappointing to hear, because when I am scoring runs I’m elegant, and when I’m not I’m lazy,” Khawaja said.
“I can’t seem to win when things aren’t going well. I’ve had that my whole career. It’s not like I’m going out there and not trying. Sometimes the game feels really simple and easy and other times it’s a grind. That’s the way it is.
“I love to play for Australia in every Test match. Obviously it hasn’t gone that way over the last year but all I can do is go out and score runs and not look too far ahead.”
Warne said it was time to back Khawaja in the No. 3 role throughout the world, not just when the ball is coming on.
“The most impressive thing here was his aggression against spin,” Warne said. “(Some- times) he looks to survive and can be not busy enough but today he had positive intent right from ball one and dominated.
“Let him play in India and everywhere and he’ll learn to play against those guys.”
Australian captain Smith responded: “Fair call.”