Injured

BEN HORNE USMAN Khawaja will look to England’s Ben Stokes for inspiration after he was ordered to undergo knee surgery and pitched into a desperate race against the clock to be fit for the first Test against India in seven weeks’ time.

Australia is facing the daunting prospect of being without the three best batsmen in the country for the summer opener, with Steve Smith and David Warner’s suspensions already testing depth.

Khawaja is expected to miss between four and six weeks after suffering a meniscus tear to his left knee, and will meet a surgeon upon his return home to Australia from the UAE.

Australia’s blockbuster first Test against India starts on December 6 at Adelaide Oval, giving Khawaja and medical staff the tightest possible time frame to get the indispensable left-hander back fit and firing.

The crippling batting collapses suffered against Pakistan have further highlighted just how vulnerable Australia is without Khawaja. But motiv- ation has come from the most unlikely source, with England all-rounder Stokes proof that the high-speed recovery the 31-year-old is attempting is possible.

Stokes tore his meniscus in 2016 but was back batting for his county Durham a month after the operation, and it’s understood Australia is des- perately hoping for a similar outcome.

Australian coach Justin Langer has emphasised with the non-selection of Matthew Renshaw against Pakistan that he puts a premium on match fitness and match practice and Cricket Australia may look to explore every possible avenue to give Khawaja a chance for a