Khawaja's swipe at selectors after 'special' milestone

1 year ago 76

Usman Khawaja has taken a subtle swipe astatine the Australian selectors who near him successful the Test wilderness for more than 2 years aft ticking disconnected a "special" vocation milestone successful India.

Khawaja continued his beardown form, signaling an unbeaten period to guarantee Australia ended day 1 of the 4th Test connected apical aft winning the flip and electing to bat first.

The left-hander finished the time connected 104 not retired and combined with Cameron Green (49 not out) for an unbeaten 85-run concern that allowed Australia to scope 4-255 astatine stumps.

AS IT HAPPENED: Australia vs India 4th Test, time one

Khawaja's period is the 14th of his Test career, but his archetypal some successful India and against India.

While the left-hander has toured India before, successful some 2013 and 2017, helium was near connected the sidelines successful some series, and helium showed he'd not forgotten astir it.

"There was a batch of emotion successful that. I've been to India connected 2 tours earlier this and carried the drinks successful each 8 Test matches," helium said astatine stumps.

"It was a agelong travel trying to get a 100 successful India. As an Australian, that's what you privation to do, what you privation to tick off, truthful it's precise special."

It seems inconceivable present that Australia would trot retired a Test XI anyplace successful the satellite without Khawaja astatine the apical of the order, but that's precisely what happened for much than 2 years during what should've been the left-hander's premier years.

Khawaja was dropped during the 2019 Ashes bid successful England and did not marque it backmost into the Test broadside until the New Year's Test against England successful January 2022.

He marked his instrumentality to the Test broadside with a brace of centuries and has recorded 4 much successful the 15 Tests that person followed, with his mean presently sitting astatine 69.53 since helium was re-installed into Australia's Test side.

Khawaja has been known for his flamboyant strokeplay passim his career, but showed a grittier broadside to his crippled connected time one, with his period coming disconnected 246 deliveries.

"It was specified a bully wicket (and) I conscionable didn't privation to springiness my wicket away," helium said.

"Plenty of times I wanted to deed them implicit the top, which is what I usually bash successful the subcontinent, but I conscionable thought contiguous you're going to person to effort and get maine out.

"It was a intelligence conflict much than thing due to the fact that you person to effort and enactment your ego away. I wasn't striking precise fast, truthful it was conscionable a conflict each day.

"Just proceed the process, conscionable proceed doing it arsenic agelong arsenic you tin and support helping the squad retired due to the fact that I knew the longer I batted, the amended it was for us."

It was a bizarre opening to the Test lucifer arsenic the players became a virtual sideshow with Australia and India's premier ministers fixed a motorcade astir the crushed anterior to the archetypal delivery.

Khawaja revealed that he'd been 1 of the fewer to payment from the pre-game ceremony.

"I deliberation a fewer of the different boys might've been a spot rattled," helium said.

"I've got nary superstitions (and) I don't truly person overmuch operation to my warm-up, I'm conscionable a spell with the travel benignant of guy, truthful for maine it was fine.

"I conscionable went retired the back, did a fewer run-throughs, stretched and past made definite I was acceptable for the crippled erstwhile it started. I benignant of enjoyed that warm-up, it's astir apt the champion warm-up I've had.

"They (Australia's coaches) each came up to maine and told maine this morning, 'This is going to beryllium the favourite warm-up of your life', and I was like, 'I deliberation you mightiness beryllium right'."

After seeing Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Peter Handscomb each travel and go, Khawaja recovered an state successful Green who enactment the Indian bowlers to the sword successful the last hr of play.

The 23-year-old arrived astatine the crease with Australia precariously placed astatine 4-170 aft Handscomb was bowled by Mohammed Shami, but brilliantly flipped the momentum backmost successful Australia's favour aft the location broadside opted to instrumentality the 2nd caller ball.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma would've hoped the caller shot would pb to a breakthrough, but alternatively saw it vanish to each parts arsenic Australia piled connected 54 runs successful the last 9 overs of the day.

"We didn't accidental thing to Greeny, helium was conscionable seeing them similar formation balls and everything they were putting retired determination helium was conscionable smacking," Khawaja said of the last league antagonistic attack.

"It wasn't our intention. I was conscionable watching astatine the different extremity and getting a azygous to fto him connected strike, but it was beauteous bully to watch."

Play for time 2 volition resume astatine 3pm connected Friday afternoon, with Australia looking to heap connected a monolithic archetypal innings total.

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