Khawaja prolonged his positive begin to the collection in England with a usually environment friendly second-innings 77 as Australia regarded to press house their benefit within the second Test at Lord’s on Saturday.
The 36-year-old had already delivered a man-of-the-match efficiency in Australia’s latest first Test win at Edgbaston, scoring 141 and 65 as he turned one in every of solely 13 gamers to bat on all 5 days of a Test.
He is completely suited to the function of Australia’s quiet anchorman after spending a lot of his life attempting to keep away from being the centre of consideration.
Pakistan-born Khawaja moved to Australia along with his household when he was 5 years outdated, rising up within the shadow of the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Khawaja shortly picked up his father’s love for cricket, however alternatives to look at Australia in motion had been few and much between for a household that would not afford tickets on the SCG.
Instead, Khawaja would wait exterior the gates within the hope of being allowed in without cost later within the day.
That was the least of Khawaja’s worries throughout his cricket journey, with racism a recurring theme in his youthful years.
“At school I was called things by other kids I had never heard before,” he mentioned after revealing he was routinely labelled a “curry muncher” by different kids.
“Getting sledged by opposition players and their parents was the norm. Some of them said it just quietly enough for only me to hear.”
Khawaja was compelled to construct a resilient persona to deal with the abuse.
“It still hurt, but I would never show it. Most of the time it was when I scored runs,” he mentioned.
That refusal to be cowed by the ignorance round him stood Khawaja in good stead and he finally turned the primary Muslim to play for Australia when he was chosen to face England in 2011.
“I’ve grown up as a coloured cricketer in a very white Anglo-Saxon country and a very white Anglo-Saxon cricket team,” he mentioned.
“I stick out like a sore thumb. I don’t drink, I fast, English was my second language, my name is Usman Khawaja. When you think of an Australian cricketer you do not picture me.”
Even after breaking into the Australia crew, Khawaja nonetheless had obstacles to beat as he struggled to carry down an everyday place.
Following a two-year absence, he was solely recalled to the Test crew in January 2022 as a result of Travis Head was dominated out of an Ashes conflict after testing optimistic for Covid-19.
Khawaja seized his likelihood and is now established because the metronome on the high of the Australian batting order.
Khawaja’s maiden Test hundred in England prompted him right into a uncommon show of emotion as he roared with delight and punched the air.
Even England bowler Ollie Robinson’s foul-mouthed sledging after dismissing Khawaja within the first Test could not unsettle the opener.
“I have no issue in dealing with conflict, because I’ve done it all my life,” he mentioned.
After internalising the difficulties he encountered for thus lengthy, Khawaja lastly feels capable of specific himself.
It was instructive to notice his response to Australia’s victory towards India within the World Test Championship simply previous to the Ashes collection.
Taking to social media, Khawaja had a degree to make.
“Celebrating with a Diet Coke. Some old heads call it Un-Australian,” he wrote. “I call it the new Australian. A game for all.”
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com