‘Play every match like it’s your last’ -Fans react as Usman Khawaja says ‘Ashes 2023 might be his last one’
Usman Khawaja has been in rock-solid form for Australia in Test cricket in 2023. The left-hander showed what he was made of by scoring a cracking unbeaten 126 off 279 balls with 14 fours and two sixes. This put Australia in a good position at stumps on Day 2 at 311-5. Khawaja received great support from Alex Carey who was unbeaten on 52 off 80 balls with seven fours and one six. After the day’s play, he revealed the hundred came after a barrage of taunts from the Edgbaston crowd in England.
“When I’m getting sprayed (barracked) by the crowd as I’m walking out there today and as I’m going to nets being told that I can’t score runs in England…I guess it was just a bit more emotional than normal,” Khawaja said at the post-match press conference. Every Test match is a bonus for me because we thought my career was over. In my head, it’s the last (Ashes) tour I’ll be on unless I pull a Jimmy Anderson and come back when I’m 41.” added Khawaja.
My wife has been a rock throughout my career – Usman Khawaja
In a very sweet moment in the post-match press conference, the press was treated to his daughter Aisha who had accompanied him there. Khawaja went on to add that he did not feel the pressure of playing in England this time around due to the presence of family around him. In England, Khawaja averaged a paltry 19.60 before he scored the century. Khawaja has scored 4634 runs in Tests for Australia at an average of 48.27 and at a strike rate of 50.21.
He has scored 21 fifties and 15 hundreds in red-ball cricket. “These young ones keep me young and make me realise that there’s a lot to life and a lot of good stuff after I stop playing cricket. So for me, it’s just about enjoying it. My wife has been awesome to me, she’s been my rock throughout my career,” Khawaja said. “That perspective makes it a lot easier for me to go out there and just enjoy it as much as I can, whether I get a duck or a hundred. he added.
Let us take a look at the reactions on Twitter:
He is a warrior – playing full day ( almost 300 balls ) is a huge task.
— ABC (@varungosain08) June 18, 2023
Kudos to team management for not dropping him because of bad performance against india
— Munna bhaiya (@badtripAF) June 17, 2023
Fantastic comeback
— Aarizzain2.0🇵🇰 (@zainaariz432) June 17, 2023
It's unreal how well he has been going
— Trey (@Axciem96) June 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/sarsarleey/status/1670096661933326336?s=20
I feel this will be last home summer for Anderson
— Sathish Kumar (@Sathish12369) June 18, 2023
https://twitter.com/CricXP/status/1670320082122326018?s=20
https://twitter.com/175of228/status/1670319703674462209?s=20
This pic is so ice cooled bc
— Shubham (@ShubhamNotSubam) June 18, 2023
No worries, you and Warner can still continue to thrash minnows pakistan in test cricket 😆 pic.twitter.com/bCld5DaNVb
— Johns (@JohnyBravo183) June 18, 2023
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