In the final Test match of the Border-Gavaskar series, Usman Khawaja played a crucial role in securing a sound platform for the Australian team on the first day of the match in Ahmedabad.
Khawaja remained unbeaten on 104 after playing 251 balls, guiding Australia to 4-255. This was Khawaja’s first Test hundred against India, and his sixth century since his recall to the Test side in January last year.
Before the start of the tour, Khawaja faced a delay in receiving his visa, which forced him to wait for 36 hours to join his teammates.
Furthermore, he had toured India twice before but had never played a single Test match. Therefore, Khawaja expressed his emotions after completing his century, stating that it was a mental battle to overcome the situation.
Khawaja’s partner in the afternoon session was captain Steve Smith, who struggled to score runs before being dismissed for 38 by Ravindra Jadeja. After Smith’s departure, Pete Handscomb also fell, but Cameron Green scored an unbeaten 49 to provide some late momentum to Australia’s innings.
The pitch in Ahmedabad was not very threatening to the batsmen, and Smith had expressed his view that flatter surfaces require greater patience. The attendance at the match peaked around 50,000 for the opening session, and the spectators seemed to be drawn as much for politics as Test cricket.
The captains of both teams were summoned to collect their caps from the Indian and Australian prime ministers before the start of the match.
Despite the political atmosphere, Khawaja remained focused on his game and batted in a near meditative state. He was the first batsman to complete a century in the match, and it was also a significant moment for him as a Pakistani-born cricketer succeeding on this ground.
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