Usman Khawaja has spoken out after discovering himself on the receiving finish of a livid Steve Smith spray during day one among Australia’s Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Khawaja was largely to blame as Smith was run out for six runs on the opening day of the sequence.
You’ll be able to watch the incident unfold within the video above
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Each batters had began to dash down the pitch after the ball deflected off Smith’s pad, earlier than Khawaja modified his thoughts midway up the pitch and known as no run, turning Smith round with no likelihood of creating up the bottom.
Smith desperately dove for the crease however fell simply brief.
It was clearly an unpleasant mix-up nonetheless Smith’s response nonetheless shocked many as he rose to his ft yelling at his batting companion.
He stormed off the sector in frustration whereas shaking his head within the course of Khawaja, earlier than cameras caught him sitting angrily within the dressing rooms quarter-hour later.
Amid hypothesis of a strained relationship between the pair, Khawaja dispelled any considerations in a single day, telling reporters there was nothing to fear about between the pair.
“Yeah, he did look annoyed (at the time). There’s nothing really to report,” Khawaja mentioned.
“There wasn’t really too much to it. We’re both professional cricketers.
“Stuff on the field of play happens and you just move on and push on.
“You’re always just looking to the future. If you’re looking to the past it doesn’t help anyone; there’s not really much to report.”
Khawaja’s rise continues
Whatever the Smith scenario, Khawaja retains exhibiting he has gone from being famend as a home-track specialist to now being thought to be one among Australia’s greatest on the sub-continent.
His 71 on Thursday marked his seventh rating above 50 since his recall to the Australian Test staff, together with his run additionally together with scores of 97, 160, 91 and 104no in Pakistan.
The 35-year-old described the Galle wicket as one of many hardest he has ever batted on, and he was seen laughing after a number of balls, as they spun again sharply at him.
However the left-hander’s willingness to sweep and reverse-sweep has continued to show essential, each in Sri Lanka and in Pakistan in March.
“I was just laughing because of what the balls were doing, everything that was going on for me was quite funny,” Khawaja mentioned.
“It’s the kind of wicket you practise on back home and think, I am probably never going to get wickets like that.
I was just enjoying the challenge out there, there’s not much you can do other than have your areas and try and score runs.
“There are going to be balls that do some random stuff, and you just have to laugh it off.”
Aussie ways repay
If ever Australia wanted proof that their defend-with-attack mantra would work on the sub-continent, they discovered it with their first full day with the bat in Galle.
Australia went to stumps on day two of the primary Test at 8-313, in reply to Sri Lanka’s 212.
Already their rating is increased than any they produced on the 2016 tour of Sri Lanka, the place they had been spun out by Rangana Herath and overwhelmed 3-0 by the hosts.
The autopsy of that sequence recognized a perception that Australia’s batters had been too conservative, permitting Herath to get right into a rhythm together with his lengths.
So on Thursday, Australia put paid to that.
Of their first red-ball innings of the tour they went at a run-rate of 4.53, on observe to be their second highest ever in a accomplished innings on the sub-continent.
Usman Khawaja (71), Cameron Inexperienced (77) and Alex Carey (45) all swept commonly on a big-turning wicket, as Sri Lanka despatched down only one maiden over.
“If you try and block on that wicket too often, it’s almost goodnight,” Khawaja mentioned.
“I don’t know if you can see it watching the game, but my god, that wicket is ragging.
“The guys are batting extremely well to get to 300.”
Australia’s begin in Sri Lanka follows their first sequence win in Asia in 10 years in March, albeit on flatter pitches in Pakistan.
“We’ve learnt from our mistakes, guys are more trusting of their plans and able to adapt to different situations,” Khawaja mentioned.
“The amount of times I got told growing up not to sweep as a youngster, every second coach telling me not to do it.
“But for (Carey) and myself it’s a very natural shot.
“Greeny doing it now – the amount of times I’ve heard people say ‘you’re a tall bloke, just hit down the ground’ – it’s just the biggest bullcrap in the world.
“A player has the ability to sweep whether he’s six foot seven or five foot five. It’s actually more potent when you’re tall person.”
Khawaja’s feedback got here as Sri Lanka’s spin coach Piyal Wijetunge admitted Australia had received their ways proper and that his 4 gradual bowlers had not dealt with it effectively.
“When the ball turns the batsman’s approach changes too,” the previous Test spinner mentioned.
“They tend to bat aggressively.. So spinners need to be tactical. There is a bit of an issue.
“I can not tell that every day that these are young spinners. We are getting there.
“England, South Africa and Australia (you used to say) ‘they don’t play spin well’.
“But now they play spin better than anyone else.”
– With AAP’s Scott Bailey
