Home
Usman Khawaja's back to back centuries in the fourth Test against England at the SCG payed off really well as he has earned his spot for the final Test of the Ashes series. His spot came at the expense of Marcus Harris.
Usman, who returned to the scheme of things after more than two years, had smashed a fine 137 in the first innings and then followed it with an unbeaten 101 in the second innings in the fourth Test against England that ended in dramatic draw. How could his top-notch knocks go unnoticed and unacknowledged?
Usman was himself not sure about playing the fifth Test despite producing a great display from the willow.
Australian captain Pat Cummins on Thursday (Janurary 13) confirmed that Harris would not appear in the final of the series at Blandstone Arena, while Khawaja would start batting with his childhood teammate David Warner.
“I think he knew it was coming,” Cummins said.
“The message to Harry is that we think he’s really doing well. I think Marcus has been really good, I think he’s growing in every game.
“It’s definitely part of the future,” he added.
Harris scored 179 runs in the first four Ashes Tests at an average of 29.83, his best performance during the Boxing Day match at MCG was 76.
But the left-handed Victorian has been criticized for failing to turn a start into a big score – after 14 Tests among the white whites in Australia, he has reached 50 on just three occasions without scoring a century to his name.
Khwaja himself admitted that starting batting is a different fish to play in the middle order, telling reporters after his second SCG century: “You really can’t compare No. 5 with the opening. It’s a little bit like an apple and an orange, and I know because I’ve done both.
“The opening is very difficult. There is a big difference between opening and batting number five," he added.
Cummins also confirmed that Travis Head would come into the playing XI for Hobart Test.
Head was forced to isolate after testing positive for COVID-19. However, the makeup of the bowling attack is yet to be decided for the fifth Test.
The Australian skipper, meanwhile, said the national selectors are waiting to see how pacer Scott Boland performs in training for Hobart before making a final decision on a bowling attack.
