Usman Khawaja thinks that Australia will be well-positioned to challenge India next month as they attempt to win a series there for the first time since 2004 because to the steadiness of their Test team. Australia will reveal its lineup on Wednesday, and Khawaja’s opinion is supported by the reality that just a small number of spots, particularly in the batting, are actually in doubt.
That change was an unavoidable one brought on by Cameron Green’s broken finger, which forced Matt Renshaw to be recalled in Sydney. With Mitchell Swepson playing in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, a few injuries and absences among quick bowlers, and most recently Ashton Agar’s call-up at the SCG, there has been a bit more swapping around in the bowling.
Along with Steven Smith and David Warner, Khawaja is a veteran batter with a wealth of experience on the subcontinent; yet, Warner’s rather unimpressive track record in India may still provide a challenge for Australia.
At the Sydney premiere of season two of The Test, Khawaja observed, “We’ve played a lot of games on the subcontinent. Every time I’ve visited the subcontinent, I’ve felt that there has been a lot of chopping and changing.
Back in the day, we used to speak about “horses for courses,” and in my opinion, when that is the case, winning cricket matches is really challenging. We believe that the consistency our team has had over the past 1.5 years will benefit us.”
Khawaja: Continuity of selection breeds confidence
Travis Head, who has developed into a powerful force at home but struggled on the two abroad trips last year with 91 runs in seven innings, will also benefit greatly from the trip. Khawaja, however, thinks that the present team’s culture, where players are supported to achieve over the long term, provides them the best chance to succeed.
I’ve been requesting that for a while, he remarked. Test cricket is challenging enough, but it becomes even more so when it seems like you have just three games left to establish yourself. Many of the young men who joined you in the previous ten years undoubtedly felt this way in many ways. Pat and Andrew McDonald are quite skilled at that.
However, certain selections may be determined by the environment, and Australia may employ a variety of different balances to their advantage throughout, with most of it focusing on how quickly Green will be accessible. Smith, who has participated in two Test tours to India and has three hundreds with an average of 60.00, is aware that it is impossible to make solid preparations until they arrive.
You shouldn’t enter with too many preconceived notions, he said. The combinations we play and the style of play on those wickets will depend on the wickets they serve up. I’ve gone there a few times, and each trip was difficult.