Batter Usman Khawaja bid adieu to an illustrious international career after the end of the fifth Ashes Test at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground. Showing his dynamism as a cricketer, the opening batter
shifted to middle order in the middle of his last Test series, to suit what the team needed, as Australia won the Ashes 2025-26 by a comprehensive 4-1 margin.
Khawaja said that the win against England in the New Year's Test, also his last in internationals, meant so much to him. The Southpaw did miss out on hitting the winning runs, but unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be. The experienced cricketer said that the entire game was like an emotional rollercoaster for him, and he found it a little difficult to concentrate. However, he is happy that the Aussies got the job done in the end.
“It means a lot. So much has gone into it. The only thing I wanted was a win, as much as I wanted to hit the winning runs. The whole Test match, I found it hard to control my emotions. I found it hard to concentrate in the middle. I'm grateful I've had the career I've had. I have full gratitude. It definitely got a bit too tight. You never count your chickens. We got the job done, though,” Khawaja told via Fox Cricket after the match.
Khawaja did not have the best of the series, contrary to what he would have dreamt his last dance to be. The left-handed batter managed 176 runs in four matches, with only one half-century — an 82 that came during the Pink Ball Test. He had missed the Brisbane encounter, but returned to play at the MCG and the SCG as his final two games in Australia jersey.
Speaking of his international career, the 39-year-old said goodbye to international cricket after representing Australia across all three formats of the game. His white-ball numbers aren't that great. In 40 ODIs, Khawaja scored 1554 runs at an average of 42.00, laced with two centuries and 12 fifties. In T20Is, he garnered 241 runs across nine innings, which included the highest score of 58.
His Test numbers, nonetheless, are quite impressive, making him one of the most successful openers for Australia in modern-day cricket. After 88 matches, Khawaja tallied for 6229 runs at an average of 42.95, with 16 hundreds and 28 half-centuries. Barring Bangladesh, Khawaja has a century at least against all major Test-playing nations.
