Usman Khawaja believes Australia will continue to bat on day four against South Africa at the SCG and says it would be a “pretty harsh” call if he was deprived of the chance to make a maiden double century despite time running out for an “unlikely” victory.
Khawaja also indicated his Test career could be extended by at least two years due to what he said was a more relaxed team environment and the fact that players no longer had to take part in energy-sapping warm-ups.
The Australian opener walked out to bat on Wednesday and will put the pads on once again on Saturday to resume batting after play was washed out on Friday without a ball being bowled.
He is unbeaten on 195 and eyeing off his first double century in international cricket after seven prior Test scores between 140 and 174.
With Australia in the box seat at 4-475 in their first innings, skipper Pat Cummins will have to decide whether to let Khawaja bat on for a personal milestone or send South Africa straight in on Saturday to give his team maximum time to secure a result.
“I think it’d be pretty harsh if he bowled straight away. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Khawaja told reporters after the 26th washed-out day of Test cricket at the SCG. “He’s been making a few jokes … just walking around [and saying] ‘I’ve let Deano [Elgar] know that we want to go out and have a bowl straight away’. He’s been in the change room taking the mickey out of me.
Usman Khawaja celebrates yet another hundred.Credit:Getty Images
“We could go out there and get a few more runs really quickly or we could declare pretty much straight away. I’m not the captain … I don’t make those decisions.”
Some showers are expected on Saturday in Sydney but another completely washed-out day appears unlikely.
A win would all but book Australia’s spot in the World Test Championship final but even Khawaja acknowledges a result will be difficult to achieve, despite South Africa’s brittle batting this summer.
“Time is the enemy,” Khawaja said. “A result is very unlikely, let’s be honest, but it’s still possible.”
After plundering 1080 runs at 67.50 last year, Khawaja is showing no signs of slowing up.
On a day when Steve Smith poured cold water on reports he might not play another home Test, Khawaja also shared the left-field reason why he feels his career may continue for another few years yet. No draining warm-ups.
“Best environment I’ve been in,” he said. “I haven’t done a warm-up in about seven Test matches. Nothing hurts you more than a warm-up. I think it’s added two more years on my career, 100 per cent.
“Ron [coach Andrew McDonald] has been great about that and so is Patty. We get to go out and do individual warm-ups, do what we need to do. It’s just those small things that I think has really helped the environment in the Australian cricket team.
“I used to find [warm-ups] really intense and it used to take a lot of mental energy out. Since I’ve been back in the team, there really hasn’t been any of that. It’s been really refreshing.
“It has definitely opened up a lot of space in the mind just to go out and do your thing. It’s been enjoyable.”
Khawaja said it was hard to compare his twin tons last year against England at the SCG to his most recent knock in front of friends and family.
“Every hundred is extremely special,” Khawaja said. “Last year’s was unexpected because I wasn’t intending to play. Even my wife came to me and said, ‘That was really cool but I think last year might have been a little bit cooler’. Even she is discrediting this hundred.”
Despite another wet day in Sydney, which has become increasingly common recently, Khawaja doesn’t see value in moving the Test to another time of year.
“I’m all for change but I do like tradition,” Khawaja said. “Before this week, it wasn’t raining at all. I think it’s pretty unlucky we got rain this specific week.
“It sucks but I still think it’s the traditional time to have it. We’re in a La Niña pattern at the moment, which means more rainfall.”
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