TOP STORIES
“It doesn't come around very much”: Usman Khawaja after his ton against Sri Lanka
Australia finished day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle on Wednesday in a dominant fashion after experienced batters Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith bludgeoned their centuries. Khawaja’s prestigious knock put an end to his poor run as this massive century from his bat came in almost two years.
Following a disastrous campaign against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, falling for cheaper scores, Khawaja had attracted a lot criticism. However, he fired back at his critics by firing his 16th Test hundred, his first ton since the opening Ashes match against England in 2023.
Calm and composed Khawaja repaid the faith selectors posed in him despite experiencing a lean patch. Khawaja thrived in spin conditions in Sri Lanka, and became the only second Australian batter after Alan Border to score centuries in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“It's a contrast of two halves - my career in the subcontinent. There's pre-Dubai, post-Dubai. There were some low times - my wife Rachel was here with me [in 2016, when he'd been dropped mid-series in Sri Lanka], and we had so many of those tough times. No one ever sees that. Everyone sees the good stuff,” Khawaja said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
“But you have to take the good stuff when you get it. It doesn't come around very much. We had one of the greatest players to play the game - Steven Smith - get to, what was that, 35 Test hundreds? As great as he is, he's only done it 35 times. That puts things into perspective,” he added.
Apart from Khawaja, Steve Smith also belted his Test hundred, registering his 35th Test century. The duo thrived on a successful start given by Travis Head, who scored a half-century.
Tags
More News
Rovman Powell our of Pakistan T20I series
West Indies power hitter Rovman Powell has been officially ruled out of the ongoing T20I series against Pakistan owing to a wrist injury sustained during the preceding series against Australia. The West Indies Cricket Board has confirmed Powell’s unavailability. and they have decided against naming any replacement for Powell in the squad.
Powell picked up the wrist injury...
“Yes, the last couple of years have not been good for us”: MS Dhoni
Chennai Super Kings’ stalwart MS Dhoni has underlined the importance of Ruturaj Gaikwad’s return to the side, saying his return will strenghten the side’s batting heading into the IPL 2026. Last season, CSK struggled mightily after Gaikwad was ruled unavailable following just five appearances in the tournament. He was ruled out of the league du...
Glenn McGrath Weighs In on Bumrah’s workload management suggests a long-off season
Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah remained a central figure of discussion during the Test series England and India, as his workload management continued to draw attention. In a pre-series decision made by the Indian management, it was confirmed that Bumrah would participate in only three of the five Tests against England, prioritising workload management.
Bumrah featured ...
Ireland name squad for Pakistan T20Is
Ireland have named a 14-player squad for the upcoming three-match home T20I series against Pakistan starting on August 6 in Belfast. The squad, which includes the likes of Laura Delany, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly and Orla Prendergast, will be led by Gaby Lewis. Lara McBride has been retained following her outstanding debut series against Zimbabwe...
R Ashwin backs Jasprit Bumrah’s decision to miss the fifth Test
Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has supported pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s choice to sit out of the fifth and final Test against England, considering it a necessary move to manage his workload effectively. Ahead of the series, Indian management had confirmed that Bumrah would feature in just three of the five Test matches. This decision was taken...
Android App
iOS App
YouTube
Facebook
Instagram