Australia’s veteran batter Usman Khawaja received a guard of honour from England on Day 5 of the fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground as he walked out for his final international appearance. The left-hander had confirmed his retirement ahead of the series decider at his home venue and was given a heartfelt reception by both the opposition and the spectators.
Khawaja entered the chase at No. 5 after Australia lost a few early wickets despite a solid start. With the scoreboard showing 92/3, the hosts were closing in on the target and a 4–1 series victory. England’s players formed a line on either side of the pitch as Khawaja stepped out to bat, greeted by loud cheers from the SCG crowd.
The experienced batter acknowledged the England players, sharing a handshake with skipper Ben Stokes, before taking guard at the striker’s end. You can watch the video here:
A classy touch from Ben Stokes and the English team as Usman Khawaja walks out to the crease for the final time in his Test career ❤️👏
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Sadly, Khawaja’s time at the crease was brief, as he managed just six runs from seven balls in his final international appearance. He was bowled after dragging a delivery from Josh Tongue onto his stumps, bringing his innings to an abrupt end.
As he made the long walk back to the pavilion, Khawaja shared an embrace with teammate Marnus Labuschagne and acknowledged the crowd’s heartfelt applause before leaving the field.
“I fought to control my emotions” – Usman Khawaja on final Ashes Test
Usman Khawaja experienced a mixed final series and Test, adapting to a middle-order position after a long stint as an opener. Despite the adjustment, he delivered a decisive performance in Steve Smith’s absence during the third Test at the Adelaide Oval, registering scores of 82 and 40 to help Australia wrap up the series convincingly.
“It means a great deal to me. A lot of effort and emotion went into it, and more than anything, all I wanted was the win — even more than scoring the finishing runs. Throughout the Test, I struggled to keep my emotions in check and found it difficult to stay fully focused at times.”
“I’m incredibly thankful for the career I’ve had and feel nothing but gratitude. It got closer than we would’ve liked — you can never take anything for granted. But in the end, we managed to get the job done,” Khawaja said during the post-match presentation.
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