Usman Khawaja Supports Travis Head to Open in Tests for Australia
Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has endorsed Travis Head to open in Test matches, citing his success in ODIs. Khawaja, who was speaking to Fox Cricket, believes Head’s performance makes him a strong candidate, but the final decision rests with the selectors.
Khawaja also emphasized the importance of protecting Steve Smith by not exposing him to the new ball early in the innings. He said, “When you have got your best batsman, you want to protect him. And in Australia, the hardest time to bat, by far, is that first hour.”
Steve Smith is the ninth-highest run-getter in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series, with 1,887 runs at an average of 65.06. Since David Warner’s retirement, Smith has had mixed performances as an opener, scoring 171 runs at an average of 28.50 in four Test appearances.
Travis Head has opened in five Test innings, scoring 223 runs at an average of 55.75. In ODIs, he has scored 1,497 runs at an average of 49.9, with five centuries and nine fifties.
The Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia will begin on November 22 in Perth. The series will feature five Tests, concluding with the final match at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3 to 7.
Doubts Revealed
Usman Khawaja -: Usman Khawaja is an Australian cricketer who plays for the Australian national team. He is known for his skills as a batsman.
Travis Head -: Travis Head is another Australian cricketer. He is also a batsman and has played in both One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches.
Test matches -: Test matches are a type of cricket game that can last up to five days. They are considered the longest and most traditional form of cricket.
ODIs -: ODIs stand for One Day Internationals. These are cricket matches that are completed in one day, usually lasting about 8 hours.
Selectors -: Selectors are people who choose which players will be part of the cricket team for different matches. They make important decisions about team composition.
Steve Smith -: Steve Smith is a famous Australian cricketer known for being one of the best batsmen in the world. He has played many important matches for Australia.
New ball -: In cricket, the ‘new ball’ is a fresh, hard ball that is used at the start of an innings. It can be difficult for batsmen to play against because it moves more unpredictably.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy -: The Border-Gavaskar Trophy is a series of Test cricket matches played between Australia and India. It is named after two famous cricketers, Allan Border from Australia and Sunil Gavaskar from India.
November 22 to January 7 -: These dates refer to the time period during which the Border-Gavaskar Trophy matches will be played. The series will start on November 22 and end on January 7.
Australian cities -: The matches will be played in different cities across Australia. This means the games will take place in various stadiums around the country.