United Kingdom: This week at Old Trafford, Usman Khawaja's international comeback completes a circle. He was removed from Australia's Test team four years ago at this location, and he thought his career was done.
In 2019, Khawaja was made to take the blame for Marnus Labuschagne's remarkable comeback to the Test team after filling in for Steven Smith at Headingley while recovering from a concussion. Someone had to make room when Smith returned to being fit for Manchester. After scoring 13, 40, 36, 2, 8, and 23 in the first three Tests, it was Khawaja.
But more than two years later, at the SCG, he made an unforgettable comeback by scoring two hundred in one innings against England. His career is presently in a completely new phase; he has an average of 63.77.
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"It was the toughest point of my career," Khawaja recalled of 2019. "I thought my career was pretty much over then. My wife was joking about it the other day. She was sitting up in a shopping mall at Leeds and she was saying last time I was here, it wasn't a good time.
"It was nice, it's funny how things work out. You get to come back to England and actually play at Old Trafford this time. It's a very different vibe. The team is in a different place. I am really just enjoying it."
Unexpectedly, four years later at Old Trafford, Australia's selectors must make another difficult decision, even though Khawaja is extremely likely to play. After Mitchell Marsh's excellent century at Headingley, Cameron Green's return to fitness raises the question of how to include him in the starting lineup.
After failing twice in the third Test, David Warner has been the topic of conversation, at least among those outside the team, but Khawaja had little question that he would be starting this Test alongside Warner.
"He's probably the hot topic right now," Khawaja said. "I don't know because I don't really read the stuff. If I will say anything, from my point of view, Dave Warner has been one of the greatest openers of all time, it is him and Haydos [Matthew Hayden] right up there for Australia I reckon, the top two ever, so I will always back Davey no matter what and I think the other guys will too."
The player of the match in the victory at Edgbaston, Khawaja, also emphasized how difficult the batting conditions have been.
"I don't think anyone has felt in at any stage," he said. "That is England with Dukes balls, weather and conditions. Whereas Australia, sometimes you can kind of lock in and feel like I am in now, I can feel like stretching this for a while. Where here, it doesn't feel like that because the ball is always going enough, nibbling about. You see that pace has dominated this whole [series] in the first three games."
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Khawaja was the first wicket Mark Wood took at Headingley, inside-edging the final ball of his opening spell—during which Wood did not slow down below 90 mph—into the leg stump. Khawaja pointed out that Wood's movement, rather than his raw pace, was what made him a problem, but he won't be paying particular attention to the quick before this Test.
"That first spell was pretty fiery," he said. "He looked like he had his beans going a little bit. I was at the other end for most of it, Marnus faced a fair bit. He was swinging it too. That's what made it a little bit more difficult and he was doing it beautifully.
"Moeen Ali bowled a brilliant spell," Khawaja added. "Think it's probably forgotten a bit. He got Marnus and Steve Smith, potentially our two best batsmen of the last few years, so think that's what broke our back that game. It was a team effort, it's not just Woody. If you worry about one bowler, the other bowler will get you out."
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