As star batter Usman Khawaja prepares for his final Test at the SCG, mid-day recalls his four previous centuries in nine Tests here
Australia’s Usman Khawaja after getting his century against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2022
171 vs England (January 2018)
After scoring just two half-centuries in the first four Tests, Usman Khawaja delivered a masterclass with a towering 171. Walking in to bat after opener Cameron Bancroft was dismissed for a duck in reply to England’s first innings total of 346 all out, the left-hander played a patient knock, batting for more than eight-and-a-half hours to help Australia declare at 649-7. His 381-ball innings helped the hosts take a mammoth 303-run first-innings lead, which eventually resulted in an innings victory and a 4-0 Ashes series win.
137and 101 not out vs England (January 2022)
Khawaja made a dream comeback after being out of the side for almost 29 months. The then 35-year-old was drafted into the playing XI after Travis Head was sidelined by COVID-19. Batting at No. 5, he made full use of the opportunity, scoring a flawless 137. His innings, laced with 13 fours, took Australia to 416-8 declared. The left-hander received a standing ovation from the SCG crowd for his comeback knock. There was no stopping Khawaja in the second innings as he achieved the rare feat of scoring twin centuries in a single Test. Coming in at 68-3 in Australia’s second innings, in reply to England’s 294 all out, he batted more aggressively, scoring 101 not out off just 138 balls to set up a 388-run victory target. By doing so, he became only the third player to score two hundreds in the same Test at the SCG. The game eventually ended in a draw.
195 not out vs South Africa (January 2023)
With the majority of the Test affected by rain, Khawaja tried his best to outbat South Africa with his then career-best 195 not out. With Khawaja just five runs short of his maiden double century, captain Pat Cummins made a courageous call to declare the innings at 475-4. Khawaja’s knock featured 19 fours and one six. The game, however, ended in a draw after the Proteas were made to bat twice, finishing the Test at 106-2 after being bowled out for just 255 in their first innings.
87.5
Usman Khawaja’s average in Tests in Sydney. He has scored 875 runs in nine matches
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