Age but a number as Khawaja maintains the rage

Australia’s ageing openers have vowed not to leave a gaping hole at the top of the Test order, and for now, that appears a distant prospect after Usman Khawaja joined David Warner with another reminder of just how valuable the childhood friends have become to the side.

A week after Warner posted a gruelling double century at the MCG, Khawaja continued his dominant run at the SCG with his fourth ton at the venue in the NRMA Insurance series finale against South Africa.

On 98, Khawaja hared back for a risky second run after pulling Kagiso Rabada into the deep, before sprinting off towards the Members’ Stand with his right fist raised in triumph to celebrate his 13th Test century.

A subsequent fleet-footed dance that delighted day two punters who braved early-morning rain was further proof the 36-year-old is far from long in the tooth.

As it stands, Khawaja is the only Australian to average more than 100 in Sydney Tests (minimum five innings), something only England’s Wally Hammond (161.60) and India’s Sachin Tendulkar (157) have achieved in the ground’s storied history.

He also becomes the seventh player to have scored four or more Test hundreds in Sydney, a group of players that also includes Warner, while he is the first Australian since Doug Walters in 1969 to score three centuries in as many Test innings at the SCG.

“There’s a lot of special feelings here,” Khawaja told Fox Cricket at the lunch break. “I grew up just up the road. My family is here watching and my new family – with (wife) Rachel, our two kids – are here.

“It’s just a nice feeling, I’ve got friends are in the crowd. It’s where I grew up so it’s always an honour to score runs here.”

During a rain-interrupted first day, Warner made it clear neither he nor Khawaja want to leave Australia in the lurch when the duo, who will both turn 37 towards the end of this year, decide to hang up their boots. 

He referenced a testing transition period that occurred early in his own Test career that came in the aftermath of the glory years when the likes of batting stalwarts Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and others proved difficult to replace.

Incidentally the last pair of 36-year-old Australian openers to score centuries in the same home Test season were Hayden and Langer, in 2006-07, which was the final summer for Langer, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

There is further symmetry with that summer given Khawaja’s latest SCG ton came on the same pitch that legendary trio played their farewell match.

“For us it’s about not leaving this team with a big hole,” Warner told Fox Cricket on Wednesday.

“I know through those five-year transition period when a lot of the greats left, they’re big holes to fill with the amount of games you play.

“We always talk about games played and how much that means into a team’s performance, and perspective with experience. You can’t fill that void.”

For now, that is a problem for another day, given Warner and Khawaja have shown they will be integral to Australia’s hopes of conquering India and England on Test tours abroad through 2023.

After commencing 2022 in near-perfect fashion by striking twin centuries at the SCG upon his recall to the Test side, Khawaja began 2023 in similar fashion courtesy of a fluent hand on a dry surface.

Opening the batting in overcast conditions on day one, the Queensland skipper was most troubled by new Proteas inclusion Simon Harmer, who beat his outside edge with an off-break that gripped and turned.

But despite suggesting South Africa may need a glow-in-the-dark ball to continue play when dark clouds gathered ominously while speedsters Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje were in operation, Khawaja had few issues handling the pacemen.

The left-hander was particularly savage when they dropped short, launching into a series of swivelling pull shots as he reached a half-century before an early stumps on day one was called due to bad light and rain.

Khawaja took a particular liking to Keshav Maharaj’s slow left-arm offerings, scoring freely off him with a sumptuous advancing blow over mid-off highlighting his complete command of the conditions. 

Australia’s leading run-scorer in 2022, Khawaja’s latest hand suggests he will again be in the mix for that mantle in 2023.

Men’s NRMA Insurance Test Series v South Africa

First Test: Australia won by six wickets

Second Test: Australia won by an innings and 182 runs

Jan 4-8: Third Test, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Nathan Lyon, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, David Warner

South Africa squad: Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Eree, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo

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