Australia captain Pat Cummins all but confirmed Khawaja was undroppable after his historic twin centuries at the SCG and said the veteran was more than capable of returning to his old position at the top of the order – where he is set to rekindle a bond he started with David Warner when they were seven years old.
Brave England defied Australia’s all-out push for a whitewash on a thrilling day five in Sydney, as the walking wounded held on for a scintillating draw at nine wickets down, which encapsulated the unrivalled theatre of Test cricket.
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Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon threw everything at a frantic last three overs with eight fielders – including Cummins in a helmet – crowding the bat and sweating on every delivery.
Smith – only bowling because umpires wouldn’t let Scott Boland continue because of the dark – took his first wicket since 2015 in the third last over to leave only one scalp to hunt – but warhorses Stuart Broad and James Anderson repelled the vultures and robbed Australia of a shot at 5-0 in Hobart.
Australian selectors have a massive decision to make on who makes way for Khawaja, but with Travis Head set to return from his Covid break thanks to a century at the start of the summer, Harris is poised to walk the plank after failing to make a ton in his 14-Test career to date.
“I think I’ll preface it by saying I’m not a selector. But if someone comes out and hits twin hundreds, it’s pretty hard to go past them for the week after I think,” said Cummins, disappointed after 65 overs lost to rain, and six dropped catches ultimately caught up with Australia, as the series score remained at 3-0.
“The selectors will work through that over the next few days but if someone is running hot, and got a heap of experience like Uzzie, the way he played was just fantastic.”
Warner and Khawaja first played together opening the bowling from opposite ends as kids, but are now poised to reunite as batting partners at the ripe age of 35.
“Childhood brothers, now fathers and I could not be any more prouder of Usman Khawaja’s comeback,” Warner wrote on Instagram.
“We started throwing balls up against a wall at Waverley Oval watching our brothers play cricket.
“Grew up playing the game we love together and against (each other), but now back in the same team living our dreams together. This is what dreams are made of, sharing it with your family and closest friends.”
Cummins and Scott Boland (3-30) were immense in the final hour and a half, nearly willing Australia home in the final 18 overs – as the captain defended his decision not to declare earlier on day four.
The only thing that might save Harris from the axe is if selectors decide Khawaja is no longer an opener, given he has batted exclusively in the middle-order for Queensland since returning from the 2019 Ashes.
But that seems unlikely, with Cummins confident Khawaja is versatile enough to handle the new ball if that’s what selectors decide.
“Yeah, I guess that was why he was a spare batter and picked in the squad originally,” said Cummins.
“It felt like he could replace any batter 1-6 really well. I think he’s hugely versatile. I know there’s been question marks historically about him playing over in Asia but you see how well he’s played spin recently, reverse sweeping, sweeping, he’s just someone who is in total command of his game and that’s why you love experience.
“Two centuries rarely happens in a career. For someone to come back (and do that) in their first Test; fantastic.”
Numbers show that Khawaja is one of the better batsmen of his generation and the fact he has played significantly fewer Test matches than his contemporaries indicates he has been dealt a rough deal by selectors throughout his career, which is now being rectified.
Khawaja’s historic back-to-back hundreds at the SCG has put him in elite company as one of only 10 international batsmen to have scored 10 career hundreds or more since 2015.
Remarkably, he’s done so at a better rate per innings than the likes of Warner, Azhar Ali, Joe Root and Cheteshwar Pujara – yet has played only 36 Tests in that period and missed 30, compared to everyone else on that top 10 who have been provided largely uninterrupted runs.
For a point there Boland even surged past Cummins on the wicket-taking tally for the series, until the captain roared back with his inspiring spell at the death when Australia needed it most.
Cummins also revealed he was willing to risk losing to try and keep an Ashes whitewash alive, as the captain explained his day four declaration.
Some felt Cummins could have given his team more time to bowl out England, but that would have meant a Mike Atherton-style declaration on Khawaja and the fast bowling destroyer said on Sunday night he felt the 110 overs should have been enough.
Cummins felt rain was Australia’s biggest enemy, as the SCG racked up its fifth draw from the last eight Tests.
“I don’t think we needed to hand it to them on a platter, but for sure, we were willing to risk England winning. I thought around about three and a half runs per over (for 110 overs) … still gave them a little bit of a cherry if a couple of batters got in,” said Cummins.
“The weather played a bit of a part in this game. And we basically learnt that that you can’t predict it at all.
“I thought the wicket was still not playing too many tricks. I thought if they batted really well they 350 is pretty achievable out there. I wanted to give us enough time. I thought 110 overs is enough time.
“We had the luxury after the way Greeny (Cameron Green) and Usman (Khawaja) batted to have enough runs in the bank that we could effectively attack for those 110 overs.”
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Updates
And that is that! An incredible finish to a remarkable Test.
England hold on by the skin of their teeth, with Jimmy Anderson blocking out six balls from Steve Smith to seal a famous draw after five pulsating days of cricket.
There were heroes all round on Sunday – with Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow playing brilliant knocks to steer England towards the draw.
And then some stunning performances by Australia's bowlers – a double-wicket over from captain Pat Cummins, a last-minute 'golden arm' moment for Steve Smith and more wickets for Nathan Lyon and Scott Boland.
But it wasn't enough, with Australia running out of time as the shadows crept across the SCG – thanks to stoic knocks from Jack Leach, Stuart Broad and, for six balls at least, Jimmy Anderson.
Australia's dreams of an Ashes whitewash is over, and now they'll turn their attention to Hobart – in the hope of sealing a 4-0 series victory.
HOW THE FINAL OVER PLAYED OUT
Six balls to go. Smith to Anderson
1. Smith drifts legside and Anderson plays to bat pad.
2. A bit fuller and Anderson deadbats this one calmly
3. Short and defended to the onside.
4. A field reshuffle for Australia, but another strong defensive stroke from Anderson.
5. Two balls to go… Another fizzer at the stumps, but Anderson blocks this one away.
6. The final ball of the Test: And Anderson defends it! Incredible finish for the tensest of draws.
Lyon to Broad for the second last available over of this Test.
Lyon has the SCG crowd roaring as he rips one past Broad's bat with his third delivery. That is a fizzer and probably too good a delivery for a No.10.
Broad defends, defends and defends.
"If you had a heart monitor on him, the thing would explode," says Ricky Ponting on 7.
But he survives the over.
England have to survive six balls. Can Steve Smith deliver another golden moment at the SCG? He'll bowl to James Anderson.
Steve Smith! What a clutch play. Smith has Jack Leach caught at first slip, with the last ball of his over.
Smith pulls out his Michael Clarke moment, getting a ball to spit out of the rough and taking the edge off Leach – which sails to David Warner at first slip.
A fine knock from Leach… but he's exposed Jimmy Anderson to a nervous finish.
12 balls to go. Nathan Lyon to continue. Broad and Anderson… can they steer England to a dramatic draw?
Another probing over from Nathan Lyon – another perfect display of defensive batting from Stuart Broad.
He does well to ignore the chirp from the close-in fielders, and the spin of Lyon.
Meanwhile, the light has taken effect. And Pat Cummins will not be able to bowl out – they'll have to go to Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon to finish things off.
"This is another twist in the game," says Ricky Ponting.
18 balls to go, and Steve Smith has the ball in his hands.
This is a masterclass in draw-batting from Leach and Broad – doing a brilliant job of frustrating this fearsome attack.
No matter what Cummins and co throw at them, they are ducking, weaving, digging yorkers out and defending bouncers.
They're also doing a fine job of keeping the umpires updated on the fading light – and taking as much time to readjust their equipment between balls as the sun leaves the SCG.
Jack Leach moves to 24, by the way. He's ticking along nicely!
24 balls remain for England to survive. Australia need two wickets.
Another roll of the dice for captain Cummins as he throws the ball to Nathan Lyon, and gives him an army of fielders crowding the bat.
It's Lyon to Leach, in a battle of the spinners. But the Englishman wins this round – despite the oohs and aahs of a ravenous fielding pack.
Five overs to go for England to survive. And the umpires are checking for light… but Pat Cummins will continue.
It's getting tense now – with seven overs remaining, Pat Cummins brings himself back into the attack.
You'd imagine he'll bowl out from this end – if bad light doesn't intervene.
Again, it's an over where the stumps aren't particularly challenged – Cummins, coming from around the wicket, jammed Stuart Broad up with a pin-point first-ball bouncer.
And Broad ends up on his backside with the penultimate delivery, another excellent bouncer that follows the Englishman until he loses his balance.
But Broad survives, and it's getting very tense (and quite dark) at the SCG.
Six overs remain for England to survive. Australia needs two wickets.
That's not a great over from Starc.
Broad and Leach have little trouble escaping it, with the short stuff too wide – and the full balls dealt with accordingly.
Starc has been below his best this Test, though he's been unlucky with some sloppy fielding.
7 overs to go. Australia need two wickets.
Scott Boland to Stuart Broad – it seems a mismatch of David and Goliath proportions given Boland's stunning entry to Test cricket.
But the veteran England quick is not your normal No.10. He has a Test century, although his batting has dropped off considerably since being struck by a bouncer several years ago.
Boland beats the bat twice in the over, but Broad looks relatively comfortable in seeing that over off.
He picks up two off the last ball.
There are eight overs left in the match, and Australia still need two wickets.
A return from Pat Cummins cannot be far away.
Another bowling change – with Mitchell Starc recalled to blast out the England tail.
He's previously earned the nickname 'the Mop' for his ability to mop up the lower-order wickets – which is perhaps unfair, given his ability to jag top-order scalps as well.
But Australia would dearly love him to live up to that nickname now.
Jack Leach survives the first three deliveries, before handing over to Stuart Broad – who also safely navigates Starc's rockets.
There's nine overs to go for England to survive. It's getting dark at the SCG, though. Will light become a factor shortly? The floodlights are on.
And Australia needs two more wickets.
