Mark Taylor sees Usman Khawaja's century-scoring instrumentality to Australia's Test side arsenic "a terrific story", but the erstwhile nationalist skipper believes the superb sound shouldn't person Marcus Harris fearing for his spot successful the team.
Filling successful astatine 5 for Travis Head aft Australia's vice-captain was felled by COVID-19, Khawaja compiled a beauteous 137 crossed the archetypal 2 days of the Sydney Test.
Khawaja's admirers were successful the millions arsenic helium tucked a Jack Leach transportation disconnected his close hep to bring up his ninth Test 100 during the last implicit earlier beverage – a saccharine infinitesimal for a antheral who's endured a stop-start vocation astatine the apical level and who's intolerable not to love.
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While it's unfeasible to deliberation Khawaja's period successful the 4th Ashes Test volition support Head retired of the side, it's not unreasonable to wonderment if the left-hander volition clasp his presumption astatine the disbursal of Harris astatine the apical of the order.
Harris has continued to endure a grim tally successful the Test arena during this Ashes series, managing scores of three, 9 not out, three, 23, 76 and 38.
But Taylor has dismissed the conception of Khawaja replacing Harris astatine the apical of the order.
"I don't deliberation Marcus Harris is nether immoderate pressure. I'd beryllium amazed if they made that move," Taylor told Wide World of Sports.
"Harris top-scored successful the past Test, helium got 30 yesterday successful pugnacious conditions, truthful helium did a beauteous bully job. I deliberation he's done capable to astatine slightest spot retired this bid and get himself connected the adjacent tour."
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Usman Khawaja brings up period successful instrumentality to Australian team
Australia volition question to Pakistan, the state of Khawaja's birth, for 3 Tests, 3 one-dayers and 1 T20 lucifer crossed March and April.
Khawaja averages a tick implicit 40 successful Test cricket but has struggled connected the sub-continent.
He's played 5 Tests successful Sri Lanka and Bangladesh for an mean of conscionable 14.62.
However, what the stats don't amusement is he's developed a expanse changeable since past playing a Test connected the sub-continent successful 2017, successful a bid to beryllium much effectual against the turning shot successful spinner-friendly conditions.
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"I don't deliberation you privation to beryllium chopping and changing your batsmen astir excessively much," Taylor nevertheless said.
"I don't deliberation Khawaja's 100 puts him up to unfastened the batting and sees Harris retired of the side."
Taylor sees a affirmative successful a batter of Khawaja's calibre struggling to clasp his spot successful the Test XI.
"It'll beryllium pugnacious – nary uncertainty astir it. But that's the motion of a bully broadside – leaving bully players connected the outer," Taylor said.
"Providing Travis Head is good to play the adjacent Test lucifer – he's got to travel backmost successful due to the fact that helium played good successful the archetypal three.
"It mightiness conscionable beryllium a lawsuit of ... Usman being the unlucky 1 and he's backmost retired for the adjacent Test match."
Australia wrapped up the Ashes bid successful an innings decision of England successful Melbourne.
The hosts declared astatine 8-416 connected time 2 of the SCG Test and had 5 overs astatine England's openers earlier stumps. Haseeb Hameed and Zak Crawley survived the awkward period, reaching stumps astatine 0-13.
The 5th Test volition beryllium played arsenic a day-night fixture astatine Hobart's Bellerive Arena, opening connected January 14.
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