Brutal takedown halts Khawaja's hot Ashes bid

3 years ago 264

Australian cricket fable Ian Chappell has deed Usman Khawaja with a brutal takedown successful the aftermath of his consecutive Sheffield Shield centuries, which person seen the seasoned re-emerge arsenic a contender for the Ashes.

Khawaja hasn't added to his 44 Tests since being dropped aft the 3rd lucifer of Australia's 2019 Ashes circuit of England, but the 34-year-old has reached triple figures against some South Australia and Tasmania implicit the past fortnight, successful a propulsion for a nationalist recall.

The left-hander registered 174 from 294 against the Redbacks astatine Adelaide Oval, earlier compiling 119 from 184 against the Tigers successful Townsville.

The affluent vein of signifier has led erstwhile Australia skipper Mark Taylor to state successful an interrogation with Wide World of Sports that Khawaja is 1 of 2 men, on with Travis Head, deserving of batting astatine 5 successful the archetypal Ashes Test.

Will Pucovski's latest concussion has besides prompted wide calls for Khawaja to unfastened with David Warner.

But Chappell, who captained Australia successful 30 of the 75 Tests helium played betwixt 1964 and 1980, has formed tremendous uncertainty implicit Khawaja's quality against top-quality bowling.

Khawaja averages a steadfast 40.66 from his 44 Tests, but helium averaged conscionable 20.33 implicit the archetypal 3 matches of the 2019 Ashes, mustering scores of lone 13, 40, 36, two, 8 and 23 earlier being chopped from the XI.

"I deliberation everyone knows Usman Khawaja tin marque hundreds against that modular of bowling," Chappell said of Khawaja's Sheffield Shield tons successful an interrogation with Wide World of Sports.

"But I'm not convinced that he's going to marque it against an England attack."

Khawaja's archetypal period of the summertime came against a South Australia onslaught led by Daniel Worrall, Brendan Doggett, Nathan McAndrew, David Grant and Lloyd Pope.

The Queensland batter past scored a period against a Tasmania bowling portion consisting of Riley Meredith, Gabe Bell, Lawrence Neil-Smith, Tom Andrews, Beau Webster and Jarrod Freeman.

While a accent fracture means unsafe speedy Jofra Archer won't circuit Australia for the Ashes, England volition inactive person James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Ben Stokes astatine their disposal.

"I truly deliberation his equine has bolted," Chappell said of Khawaja.

"Well, helium would person successful my books. So, I don't truly spot a spot determination for him. But the selectors may.

"I'm not convinced that Khawaja is simply a bully capable player... Khawaja's a bully subordinate against mediocre bowling, but against bully bowling I don't deliberation there's overmuch aboriginal there."

Chappell said helium would opt for Pucovski arsenic Warner's opening spouse and, successful the lawsuit of the 23-year-old prodigy being ruled unavailable owed to his concussion, that he'd prime Marcus Harris to clasp his presumption astatine the apical of the order.

Harris bolsters Ashes claims with Shield ton

But Chappell was acold from assured successful throwing up Harris arsenic Pucovski's back-up, labelling Australia's 2nd opening presumption "a achromatic spot".

Harris averages conscionable 23.77 from 10 Tests and is yet to notch a century.

Chappell says Australia's Test batting stocks are being hamstrung by a deficiency of Sheffield Shield occurrence among the country's emerging crop.

"The interest is that you look done the past 2 oregon 3 seasons of Shield cricket and, isolated from Cameron Green and Will Pucovski, there's nary existent young blokes pushing and making a batch of runs," Chappell said.

"And erstwhile you see that the Test players are virtually ne'er there, there's a terrific accidental to marque a batch of runs, and yet nary of what you would anticipation would beryllium the adjacent procreation person travel through."

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