Not expecting to play 5th Ashes Test but I'll always be ready, says Usman Khawaja
Jan 08, 2022
Sydney [Australia], January 8 : Usman Khawaja might have scored two hundreds in the fourth Ashes Test but the Australian batter is not expecting to play the fifth game against England.
Khawaja on Saturday became the third player in history to hit a ton in both innings of a Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Khawaja was added to the Australian squad as Travis Head's replacement for the fourth Ashes Test last week.
"At the moment I'm probably quite resigned to the fact that I will miss out. Talking to George Bailey and the selectors about continuity [and] I'm not totally against that process, either," ESPNcricinfo quoted Khawaja as saying.
"Throughout my career a lot of changes were made and I was on the wrong side of them a few times. I'm the first to say there needs to be stability. I know how hard it is for a cricketer chopping and changing," he added.
Khawaja (101*) also became the sixth Australian batter to score twin centuries in a single Ashes Test. The left-handed batter helped Australia set a target of 388 runs for England in the fourth Ashes Test.
But even after being in scintillating form, Khawaja is not hopeful of being picked for the fifth Ashes Test in Hobart.
"I actually like the process the selectors have been taking. At the moment I'm not expecting to play the next Test but I'll always be ready. Who knows someone else may get Covid or something else happens," said Khawaja.
"Heady batted beautifully in that first Test. I'd be very surprised if too much changed. Scotty Boland was amazing last game, something I'm not sure I'll see again, and he was going to be dropped. It's just the reality. It sucks, but that's just cricket," he added.
Khawaja had scored 137 runs in the first innings as Australia declared the first innings of 416/8.
In the second innings, Australia scored 265/6 before declaring on Day 4 of the fourth Test on Saturday.
England openers safely battled through to stumps to set up a thrilling final day on Sunday. The visitors ended Day 4 at 30/0, still needing 358 runs to win the fourth Test.
