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“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.
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