Usman Khawaja, the Aussie cricketer, played a superb knock of 141 runs in the first test match of the Ashes series 2023 which is being played at Edgbaston. He helped his team in making a comeback in the test match as there was a time when they were reeling at 148/4 in response to England’s score of 393/8 in the first innings.
Australia lost their top three batters – David Warner (9), Marnus Labuschagne (0) and Steve Smith (16) by the score of 67 runs but Usman Khawaja stood his ground firmly and stabilized the innings with the WTC hero Travis Head (50 runs). After Travis Head got out, Usman Khawaja got the support of Cameron Green (38 runs), Alex Carey (66 runs) and Pat Cummins (38*).
At the end of the day 2, Usman Khawaja was not out at the score of 126 runs (his first century in England) and while addressing the press conference, he said that it was emotional for him rather than just being normal because whenever he walked out to bat or went for practicing in the nets, the crowd kept shouting that he can’t score runs in England. Usman Khawaja got a lifeline when he was bowled by Stuart Broad at the score of 112 runs but the delivery was adjudged as no-ball and Khawaja’s wicket got saved.
Usman Khawaja attended the press conference with his daughter Aisha and he asserted that the pressure of playing in the Ashes in England got reduced considerably because of the presence of his family with him. He also praises his wife and family for supporting him in the tough times and adds that every test match is a bonus for him as for him, his career was over and in his mind, it is his last Ashes tour until and unless he does a Jimmy Anderson and comes back to play when he is 41 yrs old.
The English bowlers have wrapped up the whole Australian team at the score of 386 runs and now the hosts are leading by 7 runs in the test match.
Which team do you think will win the match?