Australia batsman Usman Khawaja on Thursday hinted he could bat in the middle order in the upcoming four-Test series against India, starting in Adelaide on December 6.
Australia opener David Warner will miss the first two one-day internationals against the West Indies with a fractured thumb and has been replaced in the squad by Usman Khawaja, Cricket Australia said on Wednesday. Warner was struck by a Mitchell Johnson delivery while batting in the nets at Perth, suffering a minor left thumb fracture and ruling him out of the matches on Friday and Sunday at the WACA.
'The prospect of Konstas facing Jofra Archer with the first ball of the Ashes on November 21 -- potentially delivered at 155km/h -- doesn't feel like a fair fight.'
South Africa's dream start to the World Test Championship final quickly turned into a nightmare at Lord's, as their batters failed to back up Kagiso Rabada's five-wicket masterclass.
Openers Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns struck sedate half centuries as Australia 'A' cantered to a nine-wicket victory over South Africa 'A' in the first tri-series cricket match in Chennai.
The West Indies produced another dominant day with the ball against Australia and then survived a tense final hour Saturday to take the honours after the first day of the day-night third Test.
Usman Khawaja scored 75 runs to lead an Australia fightback on the third day of the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park, but succumbed just before close of play after seeing the tourists cancel out a first innings deficit.
Australia's top order batsman, who had averaged 49.31 in 2019, has not been included in the national side for over a year.
Usman Khawaja struck his second century in three matches as Australia thumped India by 35 runs in their final one-dayer to seal a come-from-behind 3-2 series victory at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, on Wednesday.
Australia's stand-in captain Steve Smith hailed his side's resounding innings and 242-run victory over Sri Lanka in Galle on Saturday as "near flawless" after the visitors retained the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy.
Kohli was seen gifting his India kit to Australia batter Usman Khawaja and wicket-keeper Alex Carey.
Uncapped Australian batsman Usman Khawaja has been brought into the squad for this week's first Ashes test after vice captain Michael Clarke failed to train because of a bad back on Monday.
Australian opener Ed Cowan, middle-order batsman Usman Khawaja and IPL's million-dollar man Glenn Maxwell will be eyeing to get some batting practice in their first two-day warm-up match against the Board President's XI, in Chennai, on Tuesday.
IMAGES from Day 5 of the 3rd Test played at The Gabba in Brisbane on Wednesday.
Change will be a key theme for both the West Indies and Australia in their upcoming three-Test series in the Caribbean with the visitors set to field a remodelled batting line-up and the hosts being led out for the first time by Roston Chase.
Both Wade and Marsh were part of the Australia A squad who begin their four-day clash with Sussex in Arundel on Sunday.
Virat Kohli's wife and K L Rahul's wife Athiya Shetty were in attendance and their reaction to Kohli's dismissal has gone viral on social media.
Glenn McGrath said his prediction this time is based on how England were held to a 2-2 series draw by India in the recent Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy five-Test series.
The opening day drew more than 50,000 fans making it the fourth highest attendance ever for a day of Test cricket at the Adelaide Oval.
'A fast bowler that is bowling 124 (kmph) and he's got a mouth from the south'
Australia pick two uncapped players for first two Tests
'I think it have seen the side-ons (bowlers) but he delivers the ball from about a foot or even a bit more closer to the batsman than the average bowler so the ball feels quicker even than the pace he is actually bowling at.'
Taking aim at senior players like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, among others, he said that if their aim was to prolong their send-offs till after the Ashes, it was a wrong mindset.
Former No. 1-ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja would open the innings for Australia in the WTC final against South Africa while the fit-again Cameron Green would bat at the No. 3 position.
Usman Khawaja made the comparison with India when asked about the challenge of competing in thick smog.
Images from Day 4 of the first Test between Australia and India in Perth on Monday.
Experienced opener David Warner named Marcus Harris to replace him as Australia's opener in red-ball cricket.
Usman Khawaja showed enough in his first Test match innings for Australia on Monday to suggest he may be around for quite a while, even if he is convinced he is only keeping a place warm for Ricky Ponting.
Ed Cowan will open the batting on his debut for Australia in next week's first Test against India after being included in an extended squad announced on Wednesday.
Travis Head impressed in Australia's 2023 tour of India showing his proficiency against spin
As Warner's friend, want him to end on a high with Cup win: Usman Khawaja
'A year ago, if you told me we were coming here I would have been very confident, they were struggling a fair bit, the batting looked like they weren't really sure how to go about it.'
Usman Khawaja is not comfortable at being called the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia but has no issues if he is known as the first Pakistani-born player to wear the baggy green cap.
Australia carved out an 82-run lead over West Indies on day two of the first Test in Barbados on Thursday, with the hosts frustrated by several close umpiring calls that went against them.
Rising Pune Supergiants were dealt a telling blow as star batsman Faf du Plessis announced that he is out of the ninth edition of Indian Premier League due to a fractured finger, which will take six weeks to heal.
Steven Smith admitted that Usman Khawaja has the right to feel aggrieved after the Australia captain confirmed the in-form batsman had been overlooked for Wednesday's opening one-dayer against New Zealand.
Travis Head scored his second successive hundred while veteran Steve Smith wore the opposition down with a statement century to put Australia in control
Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alex Carey was mesmerized by the way young opener Sam Konstas scored an audacious half-century in the Boxing Day Test against India, but insisted that it was unlikely to become a "blueprint" for future matches.
Glenn Maxwell's hopes of reviving his Test career may be over after the all-rounder missed out on selection in Australia's much-changed squad for the Sri Lanka tour.
Usman Khawaja said it was "really frustrating" for players to lose their match fees despite delivering entertaining matches.
