Former Australian captain Michael Clarke said that the final Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia could be a “great opportunity” for veteran opener Usman Khawaja to announce his retirement at his home venue. With the series 2-1 in favour of the Aussies, the hosts will be heading for the New Year’s Test at Sydney to secure the series and win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since 2014. Khawaja, who has been delivering great returns as a Test opener since his recall in 2022, has not been at his best this year.
After averaging 67.50 and 52.60 during the last two calendar years, Usman is averaging just 25.93 in nine Tests, having made just 415 runs in 18 innings, with two half-centuries and best score of 75. In four Tests during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, he has scored just 141 runs in eight innings at an average of 20.14, with one half-century and best score of 57.
Speaking on the Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast, the former Aussie captain said, “This is Uzzie’s home Test match, the SCG. He has been an amazing player, absolutely amazing player. Come back in, score runs overseas, score runs in Australia. He is 38 years of age, I think it could be a great opportunity for Uzzie to announce his retirement, and Sydney to be his last Test.”
While Clarke said that he knows that Khawaja would like to keep playing, the Sri Lanka tour next year is a great chance for a new opener to come in and start his Test career.
“I know he would like to keep playing. His form has not been as good as he would like throughout this series. I know we have got a trip to Sri Lanka, and then we have got the Ashes. There is a lot of cricket in between, but I also think that could be a great opportunity for a new player to come in, open the batting, get some Test match cricket under their belt before the first Ashes Test match,” Clarke continued.
Since his comeback to the side in 2022, Khawaja has scored 2,705 runs in 33 Tests and 62 innings, averaging 49.18, with seven centuries and 13 fifties and best score of 195*.
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