The son of Pakistani migrants, Khawaja’s fairytale century on Thursday has booked him a dream ticket back to the country of his birth to represent Australia in March, two and a half years after it seemed he had played his last Test.
Written off by selectors after he was axed during the 2019 Ashes in England, Khawaja (137 off 260 balls) used a marching celebration invented by NBA superstar LeBron James known as ‘The Silencer’ to answer his critics once and for all and provide a lesson in persistence and ‘letting go.’
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Khawaja’s first Test in two and a half years only came as a stand-in for Covid-hit Travis Head, but after emphatically stepping up to produce a brilliant ninth career century and only the third hundred by any batsman this Ashes, the question now is, how do Australia leave him out for next week’s series finale in Hobart?
Australia declared at 8-416 before England clambered to 0-13 at stumps, with fortunes flipping for just a moment when Mitchell Starc cost himself the wicket of Zak Crawley with a front foot no ball.
The 24,855 at the SCG’s heartfelt investment in Khawaja was best summed up by them giving Pat Cummins the first booing experience of his career, for daring to rob the boy who grew up a stone’s throw away from the ground of the strike when he was stuck on 99 an over before tea.
“They were booing him, in my head I was booing him, too,” said Khawaja.
“When he took the single, (I said), ‘Patty, what are you doing, you’re killing me.’
“My parents still live in Parramatta … I still have a lot of connections to Sydney in a lot of respects. I’m a Queenslander now … but I don’t forget where I come from. I never have.
“The SCG. Honestly, it was the most touching, humbling, amazing feeling out there today getting that hundred and the roar that went up and chanting ‘Uzzie’ … it’s stuff you dream of. I never expected that to happen.
“To have that it was unbelievable. They talk about the American Dream, I call it the Australian Dream. I joke about it, but I’m quite serious. I’m living the Australian dream.
“My parents came over here from Pakistan to give me and my family a better life. They’ve come all the way out here and I’m representing Australia in the national sport.
“I’ve gone through a lot of hard times, broken down a lot of barriers to get to where I am right now and I think at some level people can relate to that and they can see it, and I love them for it.
“The love I got out here today is something special and something I’ll never forget.”
After his return to the SCG heroics – where he made his Test debut 11 years ago – ‘Homecoming’ will now take on a whole new meaning, with Khawaja’s memorable ton and passing of 3000 Test runs on guaranteeing he will be a crucial part of Australia’s Test tour Pakistan.
Khawaja said he expected to be dropped for the fifth and final Ashes Test in Hobart – a decision said he agreed with, because he believes in the importance of recognising the pecking order of Head coming back in.
But Khawaja was emotional thinking about how it could have all been over for him, and now how the door is open for him to play in his country of birth, aged 35.
“It would be pretty cool, it would be … unbelievable,” he said.
“I’ve put a lot of hard work in. A lot of time behind the scenes that people don’t see. I have a lot of support from my family, my parents and in particular my wife Rachel.
“You never take anything for granted. I was never really sure if I was going to represent Australia again, let alone score a hundred for Australia. So it’s amazing how life can work out. I’m very grateful for another opportunity.”
England have lost almost all the big moments this summer, and it happened again on day two when wicketkeeper Jos Buttler and captain Joe Root at first slip let a Khawaja chance slip through their grasp when the left-hander was on just 28 and Australia still gettable at 3-186.
Jack Leach was visibly disappointed as the edge ricocheted from Buttler’s gloves to Root’s fingers, but not as distraught as Ben Stokes was the next over when he was forced to leave the field with a side strain, not to bowl again.
Given the latest failure for the out of form Cameron Green and Alex Carey’s quick departure, the day could have changed for England if they’d stopped Khawaja and Smith from posting an incredible third century partnership from the three times they’ve batted together in Tests at the SCG.
England quick Stuart Broad took 5-101 to put further egg on the face of coach Chris Silverwood who didn’t pick him in the first Test in Brisbane or the decider on Boxing Day.
Updates
England – perhaps, for the first time this summer? – have survived their late-night examination to reach stumps unscathed.
Zac Crawley and Haseeb Hameed will start day 3 at 0-13, having made it through a searching five-over stint from Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc on Thursday.
Despite the encouraging finish, however, it has been Australia's day – or more to the point, Usman Khawaja's day.
The recalled batsman compiled a beautiful 137 to form the backbone of Australia's first innings 8(dec)-416 – combining for a century stand with Steve Smith (67) before helping the tail wag as Australia looked to bat England out of the contest.
Have they done that? Perhaps not yet. But the drums are beating for the tourists, who desperately need to put in their best batting display of the summer tomorrow to have any chance of forcing the pressure back on Australia.
Reaching stumps without suffering any damage was the first step. Join us tomorrow morning, ahead of the 10am (AEDT) start time, to find out whether there are more steps to come.
How often do you see it? Beautiful bowling by Starc, who gets the ball to go across Zac Crawley and gets the edge from the right-handed opener… the catch is snaffled at first slip and Crawley is sent packing.
Until….. he glances up at the big screen and has a look at the front-foot no-ball replay. Starc has just overstepped and that will be a no-ball!
Crawley survives and avoids becoming England's first duck of the new year – following last year's record-setting pace, that's a good result for the young batsman.
Zac Crawley doing some expert time-wasting already this evening – and we're only 2 overs in, with 15 minutes to play!
This isn't Monty Panesar in Cardiff-levels of gardening, though. And you can't blame him. There are no winners tonight for England. You can't get a 50. You can't save the game. But you can get out.
For Crawley and Hameed they simply must be there at stumps. They have to give England something to aim for tomorrow – and protect Dawid Malan and Joe Root from the new ball as much as possible.
"You'll seen plenty of gardening over the next 15 minutes, trying to take a few seconds out of the play," says noted greenthumb Michael Vaughan, on Fox Cricket.
End of a long day – but the SCG crowd is on its collective feet for Pat Cummins as he rips into England late on day two.
The first ball fizzes past Haseeb Hameed's bat and it feels like every ball here will carry with it the weight of the 20,000 fans in the stands.
And that's it – Australia declare after Nathan Lyon rocks back and pulls Stuart Broad into the Members' Pavilion for six.
Wonderful shot – and Pat Cummins is happy to call his batsmen in.
Australia finish on 8-416, with Starc finishing on 34 and Nathan Lyon on 16.
Usman Khawaja's 137 is the story of the innings, while Stuart Broad did a fantastic job for England – becoming the oldest England bowler to take a five-wicket haul in 70 years!
There's going to be a nasty little 20 minute session coming up for England's openers to navigate.
The 400 is brought up with a dainty flick off the hip from Nathan Lyon – who pulls it in front of square off Mark Wood.
That's impressive.
Is a declaration coming? Well, Alex Carey has the keeping gloves on in the sheds – and a message has just been sent out to the middle of the SCG to the batsman.
Does Pat Cummins have a figure in mind? Is he happy with the match position if these two bat until stumps? Or could he be tempted into a shot at one or two wickets tonight…
Stuart Broad has five wickets – but the damage has been done by Usman Khawaja.
He is bowled by Broad, but leaves to an enormous cheer from the SCG crowd with 137 runs to his name.
Is it enough to keep his spot in the Test team for the time being? He's presented a compelling case – and one that he probably should've been there all summer.
A class act of a player, and certainly one of the top six batsmen in the country.
Australia are now 8-398 – and there's 42 minutes of play left in the day. Time for a swing, or a declaration?
What's a par score on this surface?
It's played a bit up-and-down already today, and generally that sort of a pitch will only get worse as it deteriorates.
Australia's tail has wagged – but it has done so as England's bowling attack fades. It's been a long day in the field for England, especially after losing one of their frontline seamers – in Ben Stokes – to a sidestrain in the first session.
The pitch, however, has continued to do funky stuff throughout the day. 400, which Australia look odds-on to pass in the next couple of overs, is an imposing total.
A fifty-partnership between Khawaja and Starc has dominated this session so far, as England head to drinks probably conceding this Test could be done and dusted.
Australia have moved to 7-384, in a commanding position late on day two. The tail is wagging and England's hopes are wilting.
Even when things went right – such as when Starc was caught behind off Mark Wood in the final over before tea – they quickly went wrong, such as when Starc reviewed that decision… and it was overturned, having come off his arm guard.
Usman Khawaja has moved to 132 in his career-reviving innings, while Starc is on 23 – with their partnership 53.
