Aussie veteran Usman Khawaja completes 8,000 international runs

Aussie veteran Usman Khawaja completes 8,000 international runs Melbourne [Australia], December 26 (ANI): Australian batter Usman Khawaja completed 8,000 international runs on Friday. The 39-year-old Aussie veteran achieved the milestone during his side’s fourth Ashes Test against England, a Boxing Day Test match, at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).During his knock, Usman looked in good nick, scoring a 52-ball 29, with two fours, but he was caught behind by Jamie Smith on a Gus Atkinson delivery. After a fine outing at Adelaide on his 39th birthday, Khawaja failed to capitalise on a fine start on MCG as he battles age and fitness concerns and the emergence of a new Aussie opening pair, Travis Head and Jake Weatherald. As things stand, Usman is Australia’s 19th-highest run-getter of all time, with 8,001 runs in 136 international matches at an average of 42.55, including 18 centuries and 41 fifties. Test cricket has been left-handers’ forte, scoring 6,206 runs in 87 Tests at an average of 43.70, including 16 centuries and 28 fifties and best score of 232. He has also enjoyed a solid ODI career, scoring 1,554 runs in 40 ODIs at an average of 42.00, with two centuries and 12 fifties in 39 innings. In nine T20Is, he has scored 241 runs at an average of 26.77, with a strike rate of 132.41, including one half-century. In three Tests and four innings so far, Khawaja has scored 153 runs at an average of 38.25, with a half-century to his name and a best score of 82. His first outing at Perth was not good, scoring just two runs and dropping an easy catch as he struggled with back issues. Dropped from the pink-ball Brisbane Test, Khawaja marked a triumphant return at Adelaide with scores of 82 and 40, and still has one more innings at Melbourne to improve his statistics and seal his place for the final Test at Sydney.At the end of session one, Australia was 72/4, with Usman Khawaja (21*) and Alex Carey (9*) unbeaten.England won the toss and opted to bowl first, with Aussie openers Travis Head and Jake Weatherald coming out to bat.The batting duo started off cautiously against Gus Atkinson and Brydon Carse. In the sixth over, Australia released some pressure, with Head getting two successive boundaries against Carse, one being an elegant cover drive, and Weatherland ended the over with another cover drive for four, getting 15 runs off the over.Atkinson earned England their first breakthrough, with Head chopping on a delivery angling across him into his stumps. Head was gone for 22-ball 12, with Australia on 27/1 in 5.1 overs.From the ninth over, Josh Tongue started his spell of horror for the Aussies, with Weatherald strangled down the leg side and caught by keeper Jamie Smith for a 23-ball 10. Australia slipped to 31/2 in nine overs.It was the Boxing Day Test and England, who had failed to secure the Ashes, were not holding back with their punches as Tongue got Marnus Labuschagne (6) and Steve...

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