Australian opening batter Usman Khawaja scored impressive 126 runs on day 2 of the 1st Test of Ashes 2023 and boosts Australia’s score towards a positive side.
Usman Khawaja On Scoring 1st Ton in England
The first game of the Ashes 2023 is scheduled to play between June 16 to 20 at Edgbaston, Birmingham. Winning the toss, Ben Stokes led England won the toss and opted to bat first and scored 393 runs and declared the inning on the first day itself.
Though Warner failed as the opening batter, Khawaja made a strong stand and scored 141 runs from 321 balls. Khawaja’s maiden test century in the first Test match of the Ashes was an emotional one as he remembered the time when the crowd used to troll him for not scoring in England.
“I genuinely do not read the media but when I’m getting sprayed (taunted) by the crowd as I’m walking out there today and as I’m going to nets being told that I can’t score runs in England…I guess it was just a bit more emotional than normal,” he said as quoted by Sky Sports.
The 36-year-old talked about his celebration and said that it was to show that his performance in the last 10 years was not a “fluke”.
“I think it [the celebration] was a combination of having three Ashes tours in England and being dropped in two of them. Not that I have a point to prove, but it’s nice to go out there and score runs for Australia and just to show everyone that the last 10 years hasn’t been a fluke,” he added.
“These young ones keep me young and make me realise that there’s a lot to life and a lot of good stuff, inshallah, after I stop playing cricket. So, for me, it’s just about enjoying it. My wife has been awesome to me, she’s been my rock throughout my career,” Khawaja said.
“That perspective makes it a lot easier for me to go out there and just play and try and enjoy it as much as I can, whether I get a duck or a hundred. Every Test match is a bonus for me because we thought my career was over. In my head, it’s the last [Ashes] tour I’ll be on, unless I pull a Jimmy Anderson and come back when I’m 41,” he concluded.
During session 2 of Day 3, England scored 27 runs for 2 wickets loss after bagging Australian players for 386 runs. England leads the match by 34 runs where Ollie Pope and Joe Root stand at the crease.
