Usman Khawaja, a veteran Australian batsman, was Australia‘s finest batsman in the first Test of the Ashes in 2023. In the first inning, Khawaja’s innings were essential for Australia to post a respectable total and reduce the deficit. The 36-year-old batsman scored 141 runs off 321 deliveries to help Australia accumulate 386 runs at the conclusion of the first inning. Experts and commentators were raving about his remarkable performance. Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting also came forward to praise Khawaja’s remarkable innings. The 48-year-old opined that it was one of Khawaja’s finest innings, and his jubilation revealed a great deal about how much the century meant to him.
“Honestly, I believe this is one of his finest performances. From the media’s perspective, there were a few questions about Usman coming to England.
The ICC cited Ricky Ponting as saying that his record in England was not what he had hoped it would be and was certainly not as good as it is in other parts of the world.
“I believe it was evident from his celebration how much it mattered to him. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a batsman hurl their bat in the air after scoring a century in a Test match, and his innings were exceptional. I believe it is a significant turning point in his career and a bit of a weight off his shoulders,” he added.
Australia’s first inning concluded with England holding a slim seven-run lead over Australia. However, the team’s innings started off to a terrible start as both English openers were sent back to the pavilion relatively early on.
Pat Cummins dismissed Zak Crawley for seven runs, while he dismissed Ben Duckett for 19 runs. Joe Root and Ollie Pope stood at the crease at the conclusion of Day 3 with England reeling at 28/2.
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