Australian batsman Usman Khawaja prepares to ground his bat to complete his first run in international cricket during play on Day 1 in the Fifth Ashes Test between Australia and England at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Sydney on Monday, Jan. 3, 2011. (AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Usman Khawaja clipped his first ball in Test cricket off his legs for a couple of runs. Then he pulled the next ball for four. The shots were neat and elegant. My mind went back several decades to another neat and elegant left-hander, David Gower, who famously pulled his first delivery in Test cricket for a four.
Khawaja is not as tall as Gower. He is not quite as elegant a left-handed batsman, either. But like Gower he gets on with the game. Any time the England bowlers dropped the ball short or a bit wide, Khawaja pounced with swivelling hook shots and slashing drive/cuts.
It was this determination to get on with the game that led to his downfall. Graeme Swann was bowling a tight line to him, with a field that surrounded the bat. Khawaja tried to come down the pitch to Swann but was forced back with excellent length bowling. Then the youngster tried to sweep a top spinner and was caught at square leg.
And down came the rain. One more ball … and who knows how many runs he might have scored today in better batting conditions on the second day?
There is a new theory on understanding that generally first impressions, the first click, are the most sensible. The first impression of Khawaja in a Test is that he is destined to have a fine and long career wearing the baggy green cap.
His temperament seems to be nicely balanced between having the energy to have a crack at loose balls to being calm under pressure. There is none of the nervous fiddling with his gloves, for instance, that Michael Clarke indulges himself with between balls while batting.
Along with a sound temperament, there is a sound technique. He doesn’t jump around like Phillip Hughes. He doesn’t go too hard at the ball like Ricky Ponting. On defence, for instance, he plays with his bat and pads together. He lets the ball come to him, which is the mark of a good batsman.
Richie Benaud, who has seen and played against many of the greats since the late 1940s, was clearly taken with the debut. In the under-stated Benaud manner he told viewers that he and Neil Harvey would assess new players when he was captain of Australia. If there was promise of great potential they would agree that there was ‘a bit about him.’
After watching Khawaja calmly go about the business of putting Australia on the front foot with some resolute and occasionally brilliant batting, Benaud was prepared to make a call. There is ‘a bit about Khawaja,’ he told viewers.
Phillip Hughes went some way, I thought, to establishing his credentials as a long-term opener for Australia. He is slowly getting some of the foot work eccentricities out of his game. He remains a wonderful striker of the ball, a fact illustrated by several cracking fours he belted off the back foot.
You have the feeling (or I do, at least) that the dazzling youngster of two seasons ago who scored centuries in each inning of a Test against South Africa, with Dale Steyn bowling his thunderbolts, is slowly re-emerging. To push all this along, the selectors should play Hughes in the ODI to give him as much exposure to top-class bowling at the start of an innings as possible.
I can’t agree, though, with Peter Roebuck and Michael Slater about Shane Watson’s performance as opener. They were full of praise about the way he toughed out his innings by leaving a majority of balls alone.
However, Ian Healey, was most critical of the extremely slow rate of scoring by Watson. And he was correct. Around the time that Hughes was dismissed, Watson had played out 38 balls for 4 runs. Australia did not lose a wicket, until the last ball of play, before lunch but scored only 55 runs. Even without Hughes’ wicket, this made it England’s session, in my view.
If you are not scoring runs, you are not damaging the opposition. So Watson’s inability or Boycott-like refusal to play positively helped him survive, presumably, but did not help Australia’s cause very much.
There is a selfishness (in my opinion) about Watson’s play, which comes out in his run-calling from time to time, that I don’t like much.
Clarke failed again and his position in the batting line-up, when Ponting comes back into the side (but not as captain, hopefully) remains in question. As I see it, Michael Hussey and Clark are the contenders for number five, with Khawaja and Ponting batting at three and four.
But this is for next August when Australia plays its next Test.
If Australia can get to around 250 there is enough in the pitch (and with a slow out-field) for this to be a reasonable total to bowl against. But this presumes that Ben Hilhenhaus can start taking some wickets and that Michael Beer is the sort of inspired choice that Peter Taylor was for a Sydney Test all those years ago …
himanshu
Guest
well i think he should be playing mainly as a batsman and occasional bowler. greed is not good . not for the person not for the team. if they try playing him as a all-rounder 90% chances are that his body will brake down as known from body history. i feel he is enjoying the game more than before. he has been an excellent batsman top of the order when australia needed somebody after gilchirist so he has done a great job. i am confused why he has not been given a chance to captain the team instead of michael clarke who is more of a media man hooked up with fancy people rather than doing something better for cricket australia.
himanshu
Guest
hi friends i feel U Khwaja played very well for a DEBUT. Even though he did not score too many runs but what he did show was Pure Test Match Temperament which was required. I would rather have him learn more about Test cricket rather than being too hard on him by asking for 100's all the time atleast for a while. he should be opening i feel from now on. and second my suggestion to clarke would be to leave his EGO in the dressing room and concentrate more on enjoying the game rather than pressurising yourself and others for winning all the time thanks fellows
Timnaik
Guest
Spot on WhiteL, Smith doesn't deserve to be in the team as a bowler or a batsman.
ilikedahoodoogurusingha
Guest
Yes and Bradman made 18 and 1 on debut......the actual scores mean nothing. He will probably not be another Bradman, but its the way he goes about his business. He looks a promising prospect.
Whiteline
Guest
Lads I'll tell you is a concern and should be sent back to get with the program is Smith - his technique is woeful and makes Hughes look like Martin Crowe. The fascination with Smith is based on ....... I'm not sure what. His bowling is average, his batting is suited to flat tracks (where he will no doubt score some runs) and before anyone raves on about his fielding, shouldn't every 21 year old wanting to be an international cricketer have above average ground and catching skills?
Train Without A Station
Guest
I'm under the impression it was more the susceptibility to injury which has reduced his bowling workload. He still does chip in like a handy batting all rounder. I agree some issues regarding technique are more a worry than his conversion rate. However he consistently sees off the new ball, and Katich and him have been doing that together quite regularly up until this series, and you have to value consistency.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Johnson batted well, so he'll bowl well /End current Johnson theory
Lee
Guest
Sinclair on debut for NZ scored a double hundred....
formeropenside
Guest
Wayne Phillips, in 83-84 against Pakistan as an opener, before he became a keeper post-Marsh.
formeropenside
Guest
Yes, it was 37, not 137.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
As a Bangladesh Tigers supporter, I've seen this movie before. Loose shot selection undermines an otherwise bright innings. The team gets probably 60 runs less than it should - probably meaning Australia get to about 240. There will be a couple of good spells, and the opposition will lose wickets but not in bunches. Loose bowling will cause a loss of pressure, and the other side will score about probably 60 runs more than they should, and a lead of about 120. A reasonable second inninngs performance then leaves them with about 160 to chase and a lot of time, which they manage for the loss of a couple of wickets.
Rob McLean
Guest
Forgot to add Michael Clarke to the list with his sensational start in Bangalore.
Rob McLean
Guest
Greg Blewett, Archie Jackson, Charles Bannerman, Doug Walters, Herbie Collins, Bill Ponsford, Kepler Wessels, Wayne Phillips and Mark Waugh are a few who have scored hundreds on debut that I can think of. Some good names there. Worth noting Ponting 96 on debut against Sri Lanka, received a dodgy LBW.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
jared, Katich is made of the right stuff and he was in form. the young players need to see the senior players and their work ethic. Don't worry about the next ashes. Worry about getting the youngsters inculcated with the right work ethic and determination to win, at all costs. the rest will follow. Just ask Healey, Slater, Marsh, Boon, Taylor etc. When they came into the Aust team, they encountered Border and his competitiveness. they adopted the same and a dynasty was born.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
TWAS, I rate Watson, and he has been scoring runs, as an opener and as you say, more than when he was in the middle order. I love that straight bat in forward defence, still head etc. He is also becoming a good leaver. His bat seems to be so much wider than say, the wristy Clarke or Ponting. I am less concerned about the fifty and century conversion rate than the technique issue of back foot play. Several more knowledgeable people than me have said that Watson does not possess the necessary cricket brain. I cant comment but i do remember the pressure on Waugh to get his hundreds happening and look where that ended up due to patience by the selectors and skipper, I think Bob Simpson at the time. I dont understand why he cant bat and bowl. He doesnt seem to be unfit. Geez, how many regular cricketers bat and bowl. 12 overs or so of bowling and then a decent bat. I know that this Watson has to do this over a five day period, but he also has much more rest time and physio etc support.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
but is it the case that he is the only young batsman with that sort of technique and mindset in Shield cricket??? Surely not. I dont have any knowledge of the players other than the stats. They don't say much. What about Jaques? He is 32, young these days and averages 47 at test level after 19 innings in 11 tests and 902 runs and three centuries. After all, Hughes is averaging just 16 to Jaques 21 in Shield cricket this season.
Train Without A Station
Guest
I disagree LAS. Watson's returns have improved considerably with the bat since moving to opener and bowling less.
Jared Newton
Roar Rookie
Bringing Katich back would be a huge mistake. The problem with Australia is we have been hanging onto these older blokes hoping they are ready made to replace what we've lost. Hanging onto Katich, Hussey and Ponting all to retire at the same time will further keep us the number 4 or 5 test nation in the world. Is Katich better than Hughes now? Yes he is, but Katich is not going to be part of the next team to win the Ashes so lets rebuild around youth and take the hits with a young side as we build a team ready to be competitive in 2013. Short-term pain will mean a longer term gain.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
who really cares whose session it was. We have lost 4 wickets for not enough. Hughes technique failed again. Clarke is out of form and over burdened with the captaincy, Watson is a half baked opener and doing a pretty good job in the circumstances, and Khawaja was on debut and played very well but was found out tactically. Clarke and Hughes dismissals were contributed to by the selectors incompetence. It also reminds me of the huge achievement that is scoring a ton on debut. Greg Chappell did it and, I think, Dirk Wellham did it in the second innings of his first test. Others, well, I just cant remember............but a huge effort.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
Spiro, yes, i agree. there is a bit about him. The decisiveness in shot selection, the still head, the defence that doesnt show any wicket to the bowler, the leave. All good stuff. Lets not select him in the ODI's or 20/20 teams until he is test comfortable. However, While I am less inclined to be patient towards Hughes, as he has already been dropped from the team once to work on his technique, Watson is the best opener we have at this point, until Katich comes back. And he needs to come back, despite his age. Then, Watson can return to the middle order and play as a true all rounder. Hughes is not a test opener. I would read him the riot act. Young or not, he needs to get with the programme and become an opener or make other arrangements. Watson is flawed in that he is always coming forward, even before the bowler releases the ball. He doesn't go back and he is not tall enough to get away with that.