Post David Warner’s Test retirement since January last year, Australia have used four different openers other than Usman Khawaja in their quest to find a suitable opening pair. With Khawaja being the leading Test run-getter for Australia in the current cycle with 1,422 runs, Australia still are to decide Khawaja’s partner for the World Test Championship final against England starting on Wednesday at Lords in England. The 38-year-old has spoken about the uncertainty about his opening partner as not being any distraction for him.
“Not really, to be honest. Opening is so tough…I’m worried about how the ball is going to bowl to me and what I need to do. The opposite, whoever’s opening with me is thinking exactly the same. Then we’re kind of in the middle working together on how we’re going to blunt out this attack. It doesn’t really change my game too much. If anything, the change was probably a little bit quieter without Davey. But for me, it’s just about what I need to do for my team and then where I need to work with my partner while I’m out there.” Khawaja told ICC Digital.
The Pat-Cummins led Australia side sees the presence of Sam Konstas, Marnus Labuschagne and Josh Inglis, one of whom are expected to be Khawaja’s partner in the WTC final. Khawaja, who has played in 80 Tests amassing 5,930 runs including 16 hundreds and 27 half-centuries, was dropped by Australia for poor form in 2019. Khawaja then made a comeback to the Australian team in 2022 and has played in 34 Tests amassing 2,707 runs in 63 innings at an average of more than 48 with seven centuries and 13 half-centuries. Khawaja struggled last year in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with a total of 184 runs in five Test matches. Post the series, Khawaja hit a double hundred in the opening test of the two-test series against hosts Sri Lanka. In the series, Khawaja scored 305 runs in three innings. When asked about his thoughts on his retirement, the 38-year-old said he still has the hunger. “To me, age is irrelevant. If I’m still enjoying my game, still training really hard, I’m still scoring runs, still contributing to the team where I can, I’ve still got the hunger. I don’t really think of anything as different, but I’m very open. I’m really just enjoying my cricket at the moment. Everything that has a beginning has an end. I don’t know when that end will be, but for me it’s all about staying in the moment, enjoying it one Test match at a time, one series at a time. And when it’s time to hang up the boots, I’ll gracefully do that, whatever it be,” said Khawaja.
Earlier Australian chairman of selectors George Bailey had spoken about the possible opening combinations for Australia in the WTC final. “I think Josh (Inglis) could do it, but I’ve said the same about Marnus (Labuschagne). I do think it’s a role that more people could do. I know there is a prevailing thought that it is a specialised role. In certain conditions, there’s opportunities at different times that guys could do it – whether that’s England for Josh, or whether it’s in that middle order, where he’s had success already.” Bailey had told the media last month.