A defiant Usman Khawaja could play on until 2027 despite calls for him to retire after a dismal summer against India.
Khawaja, who recently turned 38, came under enormous pressure after averaging just 20.44 across five Tests, dismissed six times for 5.50 by the rampant Jasprit Bumrah.
It led to calls for the decorated Australian opener to retire, led by former Test captain Michael Clarke who said Khawaja should make way for the next generation of players like Sam Konstas.
He said that Khawaja should have retired after the Sydney Test earlier this month.
‘I know he would like to keep playing. His form has not been as good as he wouldlike throughout this series,’ he said.
‘I know we have got a trip to Sri Lanka, and then we have got the Ashes.
Aussie opener Usman Khawaja had a summer to forget in the five-Test series against India
Jasprit Bumrah, second from left, had the measure of the Aussie veteran during the series
Former Australia Test skipper Michael Clarke called for Khawaja to retire after the Sydney Test
‘There is a lot of cricket in between, but I also think that could be a great opportunity for a new player to come in, open the batting, get some Test match cricket under their belt before the first Ashes Test match.’
But Khawaja returned to form in a big way in Galle, hammering a career-best 232 to all-but assure Australia victory in the first Test.
And he said the only voices he was listening were inside the current Australian cricket team.
‘It’s been a tough summer – I had a lot of people telling me how I should go about my career and what I should do from here on in,’ Khawaja said.
‘I’m not here for anyone but the team. I’m not just playing cricket because I’ve got a gluttony to score lots of runs.
‘Century No. 16, 17, 18 is not going to make a difference to my life. I’m going to finish this game, and I’ve got a beautiful family.
‘I’ll try to give back to the community as much as I can. Hopefully I can score runs and contribute to the team.’
He revealed a heart-to-heart chat with coach Andrew McDonald convinced him to play on, and now Usman could continue play past his 40th birthday and past next summer’s Ashes with a view to be on the plan for the return series against India in 2027.
Khawaja sent a strong message to his detractors with his best-ever score against Sri Lanka
Khawaja, pictured with his family at the SCG, could now play on until the Ashes and beyond
‘Andrew McDonald even last year he said to me, ‘I don’t care what happens just make sure you’re on the Sri Lankan tour, I want you on the Sri Lankan tour’,’ Khawaja said.
Meanwhile pace bowler Jeffrey Vandersay (3-182) defended the Sri Lankan bowling attack and insisted they did try to put pace on the ball as the Australians went on to do in their pursuit of wickets.
‘We tried,’ he said.
‘It’s not that we didn’t, we spoke about it but I gave the credit to them, how they batted.’
Sri Lanka managed to stem the flow of runs in the third session on day one by bowling around the wicket and targeting leg stump.
But Sri Lanka stubbornly stuck to the same four bowlers even as they struggled for breakthrough wickets.
In humid conditions, off-spinner Prabath Jayasuriya bowled 60 overs – the equal 13th most by a Sri Lankan bowler in any Test innings.
Captain Dhananjaya De Silva has taken 40 Test wickets, including a three-wicket haul in Galle against New Zealand in September, but played in the slips throughout.
Ambidextrous Kamindu Mendis had a three-wicket haul in Bangladesh last year and could have provided a second left-arm off-spin option next to Jayasuriya.
‘There was (discussion about playing more bowlers),’ Vandersay said.
‘But we thought we should go with the four bowlers that we backed to play this game and somehow get the wickets from them.
‘That was a general plan.’
Vandersay would not be drawn on their bowling plans for the second Test, with Australia a chance to avoid batting again in the first match by enforcing the follow-on.
‘We’ve got to focus on not thinking about follow-on or thinking about the next match because it’s still the second day,’ Vandersay said.
‘We need to bat long, we need to play our brand of cricket and play as much as we can tomorrow.’