IND vs AUS | Khawaja Piles Up Records With Colossal Innings Against India


image-lf2f0x0jUsman Khawaja in action [Source: AP]

Usman Khawaja headlined Australia’s first-innings act against India in Ahmedabad with an epic ton. The cricketer packed 180 punches in his 10-hour stay at the crease and formed a 208-run stand with young all-rounder Cameron Green.

During the course of his marathon run, the batting veteran piled up several Test records for Australia, including one for the number of deliveries he faced over the innings.

Khawaja plunders records as Australia dominates in Ahmedabad

The 36-year-old cricketer opened the innings alongside Travis Head after his side won the toss and opted to bat first in the series-decider. While Head departed back to the pavilion after Australia reached 61 on the first morning, Khawaja guarded his end of the crease until the next afternoon.

He faced 422 deliveries under Ahmedabad's extreme heat while facing a strong Indian spin attack to smoke 180. His innings was fuelled by 21 elegant boundaries and he formed crucial partnerships, first with Steve Smith and then a monumental one with Green.

Khawaja also disturbed some old and rare Australian Test records in India. Here is a list of some of the records he overcame or came close to achieving them.

By consuming 422 deliveries, he has now faced the highest number of balls in a Test innings for any Australian cricketer in India.

He spent 605 minutes with the bat in the innings, thus occupying the longest duration for any Australian batsman in India.

He also listed the second highest individual score for an Australian opener in India. He went past Graham Yallop’s 167-run effort from 1979. As of now, he is only behind Matthew Hayden, who scored 203 against India in 2001.

The Australians were eventually bundled out for 480, with India’s Ravi Ashwin claiming 6-91 in 47.2 overs. The tourists, who have already qualified for the WTC final, need to win the concurrent Test to level the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.