Usman Khawaja’s dream of playing one more Ashes series now shapes as a vivid reality, anchoring Steve Smith’s continued return to greatness.
The contrasting veterans combined for series-defining centuries against Sri Lanka on an opening day of domination by Australia to begin the first Test in Galle.
Khawaja was unbeaten on 147 when rain forced an early stumps, cementing his career at an age when Allan Border and Steve Waugh called it quits. Smith’s unbeaten 104 has pushed his recent walk through cricket’s desert further away with three hundreds in his last four Tests.
Khawaja was the foundation for Australia’s 2/330 in 81.1 overs as the selectors rightly went horses for courses in spinning Sri Lanka, dropping Sam Konstas to elevate a smoking Travis Head (57 from 40 balls).
For this tour it has left Konstas as an eager young spectator, not a young tyro breathing down the neck of an ageing, struggling statesman. But with a team of 30 somethings his time will be soon.
Khawaja was at the other end when Smith charged out of the nervous 9999s from his first ball, becoming the fourth Australian to 10,000 as an aggressive Australia signalled how they want to tackle the sub-continent in future.
Australia charged to 2-261 at tea from 60 overs, prompting Sri Lanka to play ugly in the final session, with spinners bowling regularly outside leg stump and wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis standing down the leg-side. It created only a temporary scoring hiatus.
Khawaja, 38, took more innings, 33, to score his 16th Test century than any other during a roller-coaster 14-year career.
Steve Smith celebrates with Usman Khawaja. (Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe/Getty Images)
The lean run, which included his last two series averaging in the 20s, left the spectre of father time looming ever larger over him. Having to combat the world’s best fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, across five Tests didn’t help.
Freed from constant questioning by India’s surgical speedster, the laconic left hander was able to play with increasing freedom as Head carved up an opposition who desperately wanted to bat first on a slow, flat pitch which is already showing signs of wear.
Australia still have five Tests before next summer’s Ashes series, a second against Sri Lanka next week, the World Test Championship final against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in June, and three in the West Indies.
History suggests Konstas will be back for Lord’s with Head slipping back down the order in what are usually seaming conditions, but flat and even turning West Indian pitches may create another batting order rethink.
While much can happen on this year’s journey, given the faith the selectors have shown in Khawaja during his previous 16 Tests it would take quite the disaster for him not to be facing up against England in Perth during late November.
Usman Khawaja at Galle International Stadium. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
By then he will be older than when Border and Steve Waugh last played, and will turn 39 during the third Test in Adelaide. The last 39-year-old to play for Australia was leg-spinner Bob Holland in 1986. The last batsman was Bob Simpson as a 42-year-old in 1978 after coming out of retirement to captain Australia during the World Series Cricket revolution.
Khawaja’s junior cricket club mate David Warner retired from Test cricket at 37 after a topsy turvy last few seasons but Khawaja claims he does not have the same miles on the clock.
While Warner played all three forms during a jam-packed decade which also included the IPL, Khawaja has been a Test player since his recall three years ago after a two and a half-year hiatus.
Despite his recent extended struggles, the gap between the first and second half of his career is significant, particularly given Khawaja has done the most skilfully challenging job in the team opening the batting during the past three years.
Dropped during the 2019 Ashes tour after 44 Tests, Khawaja averaged 40.66 with eight hundreds. After walking off on Wednesday when rain forced an early finish, Khawaja has averaged 50.79 in 34 Tests since his 2022 recall, also with eight centuries.
On those numbers he has deserved the opportunities presented to him during tougher times.
But it is difficult to see him playing Test cricket past the Ashes.
Khawaja doesn’t have to retire. Mark Waugh didn’t. Having failed to score a century in his last 17 innings, Waugh was dropped ahead of the 2002-03 Ashes.
He is the only one of Australia’s top 15 run-scorers who did not make the decision to retire, although some jumped before they were pushed. Khawaja is 16th with 5782 runs.
It’s always nice when a fine player can have a farewell on their own terms in front of gracious fans rather than a clinical execution when they suddenly disappear.
But the selectors are paid to be executioners. Aging players are never too far from feeling the hairs tingling on the back of their necks.
Khawaja can relax. His neck was covered in sweat from a joyously steamy day in Galle. He will be hoping for another on Thursday.
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