Australian batsman Usman Khawaja says he’s not bothered by his poor record against spin bowling.
Khawaja fell to English spinner Moeen Ali in the Ashes opener in Brisbane, continuing his rough patch against slow bowlers.
Khawaja has been dismissed by spin bowlers in 17 of his 43 Test knocks and was dropped from the Test side on subcontinent tours earlier this year.
But the reinstated first-drop is unfazed by that record as Australia prepares for the second Test against England, which starts on Saturday in Adelaide.
“Sometimes you just get out – it’s cricket, it’s always going to happen,” Khawaja told reporters on Wednesday.
“It doesn’t really bother me too much.
“But I have a pretty simple game plan: watch the ball and hit it.
“I don’t think there’s anything too drastic I have to worry about.”
Khawaja doesn’t expect England to rush Ali into their bowling attack when he comes to the crease in Adelaide after his failure in Brisbane.
“The Gabba was turning a fair bit, which was a bit weird for the Gabba,” he said.
“The wicket was still pretty soft and we did the exact same thing to them with Lyno (Nathan Lyon).
“It depends on the conditions. In Australia, you’re most likely to get out to, especially in a pink-ball game, a lot of the quicks.
“Spin plays an important role and there’s one good spinner in both sides.”
Saurebh Gandle
Roar Guru
Give that guy a fair run overseas too he will prove he is world class.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
You tell 'em Usi.
BurgyGreen
Guest
He's never going to get another crack in Asian conditions if he refuses to even accept that he has issues.
Matting wicket
Guest
The only way to fix a problem is, to first identify that you have one! I can see now exactly why Usman has made no progress in four years! Usman, if you have no issues against spin, then please, please, stop getting out to straight ones from off spinners going around the wicket.
Lancey5times
Roar Rookie
Good players of spin seem to have a certain fluidness to their batting. Khawaja seems very stagnate. I know because I feel like this contributes to my own struggles against spin. Pretty easy to hit a stationary target
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
That's a worrying attitude from Khawaja, that he's suggesting he doesn't have any technical issues against spin he needs to deal with. 41% of his Test dismissals have been against spin, and he's getting out in the same manner now that he did four years ago when Swann bamboozled him in England.
Craig
Guest
It isn’t just the fact he keeps getting out to spin. It’s the fact that he looks so incredibly ordinary at the same time. The spinner comes on and even if by some miracle he ends up falling to one of the quicks, when he’s facing a spinner suddenly he doesn’t know which end of the bat to old. He looks like a number 11 at times.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
Khawaja's method of dismissal is worrying. Yet again, playing for spin and being beaten by a straight ball. Occasionally, an arm ball might deceive a player who doesn't feel troubled by spin, but playing a forward defensive shot down the wrong line against a straight delivery should be a concern. That makes even a poor spinner, who can barely turn the ball, a serious danger. The better spinner who turns the ball will beat the bat lots but wont get you out. Still. as the author inferred, one innings shouldn't a death sentence write. Callum Ferguson might feel differently though.
DavSA
Guest
Khawaja may not think he has a problem with spin but it is a lonely opinion.