Khawaja Remains Confident for Gabba Return, Questions Quality of Perth Pitch

Usman Khawaja couldn’t play a big role in the first Ashes test, as he got out cheaply in both innings. The opening batter also felt plenty of discomfort in his back, which is why he didn’t open the batting in the second innings. Travis Head was asked to bat in place of Khawaja, and he churned out plenty of runs to give Australia a stunning victory over England.

Besides experiencing discomfort, Khawaja also made some strong comments about the Perth Test. He described the surface in the Ashes opener as unplayable, saying it was far from ideal for batting.

"Nineteen wickets on the first day and about 20 people got hit, that's a great wicket - that seems real fair," said Usman Khawaja sarcastically.

He then mentioned that the Perth pitch behaved similarly last year during the test against India. Batters struggled to middle the ball, and even Steve Smith experienced plenty of difficulties while trying to play his shots. Because of the unpredictable bounce, several batters were also struck on the elbow.

"The same thing happened last year in the Indian Test, it's just that day one wicket, the ball just does not react. Steve Smith's by far the best cricketer I've ever played with and he's missing the middle of his bat by a long way - he does not miss the middle of his bat. He's getting hit in the elbow, he's getting hit." said Usman Khawaja.

"You can't really predict up and down. Up and down is the hardest - sideways is a little bit easier but up and down your hands can't catch up. So day one wicket at [Perth] is a piece of s***, I'm happy to say that. It has been last year, it was this year.” added Usman Khawaja.

He added that the pitch tends to improve as the game progresses, making batting slightly easier. However, when the match reaches Day 4, cracks begin to appear on the surface, just as they normally do on other wickets.

"They do get better. Day two, day three, and then day four, they start to crack up." said Usman Khawaja.

Getting Ready for the Gabba Test

The Australian batting prodigy then explained his recovery after experiencing back spasms in the first test. He said the discomfort was quite new to him, as he had never experienced it before. However, it is now healing quickly, and he is feeling better to feature in the next test at the Gabba.

"I feel good. I'd never experienced it before, but the last few days have been good. I've never had back spasms before, so it's been quite new for me. I've been quite lucky. I'm 39 years old [on December 18] and have always had a pretty solid back. Rachel, my wife, has been taking care of me - she's been letting me sleep in a fair bit actually, I've really been taking advantage of it. I should be right." said Usman Khawaja.

During the first day of the Perth Test, Khawaja returned to the dugout after experiencing discomfort in his back. He knew that the opportunity to open the innings would come soon, as England’s batters were getting out quickly.

"I went off knowing I still wanted to open; I don't want to bat anywhere else. I went off, and I think they [England] were six down, and we just went bang, bang, wicket.” said Usman Khawaja.

As soon as he returned, Australia picked up two more wickets in quick succession. This made Khawaja slightly nervous, as he still wasn’t feeling comfortable enough to open the innings. The painkillers he took needed some time to take effect, so he had to remain patient to fully recover.

"I rushed back on, and then we take the next two wickets. That was the frustrating part for me, but I had no other option. I had anti-inflammatories, really strong ones. I had real strong painkillers all through that time - even in the morning - and got myself to a place where I could actually field again." said Usman Khawaja.

It was fortunate for Khawaja that Australia won the match within two days. He had already planned to get a medical checkup the next day, so finishing early allowed his body to get the much-needed rest.

"I'm really glad that we got [the match] done that night, because the next day, I already had the radiology booked. I was going to get an epidural in my back, so I can actually move somewhat. I had it booked in, ready to go, so if the team needed me, I was there again." concluded Usman Khawaja.