Khawaja confident on his fitness levels for Brisbane while sounding out his displeasure towards the Perth pitch.
Khawaja confident of Gabba fitness but slams Perth pitch.
Although Usman Khawaja is certain he will be ready for the second Test in Brisbane, he might have gotten into trouble by calling the Perth pitch “s***” on the first day of the first Ashes match.
After being taken off guard by England’s quick collapse on the first afternoon and then experiencing a recurrence after jumping for an attempted catch in the slips on the second day, Khawaja was unable to open in either innings of the first Test.
Marnus Labuschagne entered with rookie Jake Weatherald, forcing Steven Smith to move to No. 3, since his time off the pitch had not yet passed when Australia started their first innings.
After that, Khawaja came out at number four, but he was only able to score two runs before defeating Brydon Carse’s rising delivery. The surface was deemed “very good” by ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle, despite the fact that he was one of 19 wickets to fall on the first day, which followed 17 on the first day of the equivalent Test against India last year.
“Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that’s a great wicket – that seems real fair,” Khawaja said at an event for his Usman Khawaja Foundation, a charity which helps support children from diverse, rural and low socio-economic backgrounds.
“The same thing happened last year in the Indian Test, it’s just that day one wicket, the ball just does not react. Steve Smith’s by far the best cricketer I’ve ever played with and he’s missing the middle of his bat by a long way – he does not miss the middle of his bat. He’s getting hit in the elbow, he’s getting hit.”
“You can’t really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest – sideways is a little bit easier but up and down your hands can’t catch up. So day one wicket at [Perth] is a piece of s***, I’m happy to say that. It has been last year, it was this year.
“They do get better. Day two, day three, and then day four, they start to crack up.”
Khawaja was confident he would be able to take his place in the XI although Travis Head’s spectacular 123 in his absence has sparked a debate about which way Australia should go.
“I feel good,” he said. “I’d never experienced it before, but the last few days have been good. I’ve never had back spasms before, so it’s been quite new for me. I’ve been quite lucky. I’m 39 years old [on December 18] and have always had a pretty solid back. Rachel, my wife, has been taking care of me – she’s been letting me sleep in a fair bit actually, I’ve really been taking advantage of it. I should be right.”