‘Myth’ busted: Is this the key to Khawaja regaining his Ashes mojo?

On the eve of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Usman Khawaja laughed off suggestions he would need to change his game in the absence of his former partner in crime, David Warner.

He dismissed the notion an opening combination needed to contain an aggressive pugilist in collaboration with the Queenslander’s own more measured style, labelling it “a myth”.

But as his return to form was confirmed with a career-best 232 in Sri Lanka, there appears little doubt his game benefits from having a counterattacking player at the other end of the pitch.

Usman Khawaja acknowledges the crowd in Galle after his double ton. Credit: nna\lachlan.harper

Concerns of Khawaja’s dip in performances have followed him since Warner’s retirement – averaging 24.07 across 16 innings while sharing the crease with similarly patient batsmen Steve Smith and Nathan McSweeney.

However, there has been a noticeable change in the 38-year-old since the arrival of Sam Konstas.

When Konstas took an attacking approach to Jasprit Bumrah and the Indian attack on Boxing Day, Khawaja blended into the background.

He had the freedom to rotate the strike as the teenager’s onslaught sent the fielders deep, find his feet and get into his rhythm.

What coincided was his sole half century of the series, before following it up with a crucial 41 to steer Australia to a series triumph in Sydney’s final Test.

“I was really disappointed in Melbourne [on Boxing Day] actually. I was feeling really good and I felt like I was queuing for a hundred,” Khawaja said, when asked if a sensed an innings like his breakthrough double-century was nearing.

“When things aren’t going your way, they don’t go your way, so for me, it’s more about the process – one innings at a time, and train as hard as you can. The rest, you can’t control.

“I know can play an innings ... what I do behind the scenes, what my mindset and process is, I think gives you the best opportunity to score runs.”

Khawaja is pumped.Credit: Getty Images

The chanceless nature he played with in those innings to close out the Australian summer at last reaped rewards in Galle. He can reserve some thanks to Travis Head for that.

Head was promoted to the opening role he did in India almost three years ago, instructed to attack from the outset when the spin-friendly subcontinent conditions were at its best for batting.

It came at Konstas’ expense, with Josh Inglis’ strength against spin preferred, but reaped rewards as the South Australian blasted his way to 57.

By the time he fell, Khawaja was set, and his vast experience playing on the subcontinent took over.

If next summer’s Ashes are to be his final hurrah, he will be salivating at the prospect of making it count. And if he brings out his best, it will go a long way to retaining the coveted urn – both through his own form, and the wisdom he can pass to Konstas and co.

“The unquantifiable is the conversations he’s having with the next generation to get them prepared, and I think that’s the strength of senior players, and we value that – potentially others don’t value it,” Australian coach Andrew McDonald said.

“It’s the way we want to go about our work. We still think he’s got plenty of cricket left in him, and I think he’s been clear on that.

“It was a tough summer. Bumrah, I think that’s probably where we landed in our assessment of that one.”

Given Head will likely revert to No.5 on the return home – although Inglis’ century on debut in Galle will make for a selection headache – Konstas looms as the long-prospect and ideal Khawaja counterpart.

If Konstas gets going against the English attack, the small sample of evidence suggests Khawaja will follow as the innings’ anchor.

However, McDonald would not be drawn on how the side would look for the World Test Championship, West Indies tour and Ashes, with conditions to determine who made the cut.

“We’re focusing forward, but we’re also respecting and living in the moment. Every game for Australia is important, we have to respect that and the way we select and prepare,” he said.

“There’s no doubt there are some players here we are forecasting forward around, but we’re still picking the best team and the best XI to win Test matches in those conditions.

“We’ve got a lot of cricket to play. I think we’ll keep our options open as a general theme, we’ve got to pick a squad of 15 and the conditions will be different.

“What that order looks like will depend on the conditions.”

The second Test of the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy begins on Thursday, February 6.