“Experience, class and humility”: Callum Ferguson eulogizes Usman Khawaja for hitting century in Karachi Test

Callum Ferguson eulogizes Usman Khawaja: The former Australian batter hailed their latest Test centurion’s efforts at the National Stadium.

Australia batter Usman Khawaja can do no wrong in the middle of a splendid batting form. Khawaja, who scored his 11th Test century on the first day of the second Test against Pakistan in Karachi today, has been scoring runs for fun since his international comeback earlier this year.

Coming on the back of twin centuries against England in Sydney, Khawaja scoring another ton means that he now has three Test centuries across six innings (479 runs at an average of 119.75) in 2022. In what is Khawaja’s second Test century against Pakistan and in the sub-continent, it is his third away from home.

Had Khawaja scored three more runs in the first Test in Rawalpindi, he would’ve had another Test century under his belt. Khawaja, who will resume batting alongside nightwatchman Nathan Lyon (0*) from his overnight score of 127* tomorrow, has all the time and skill to register a career-best knock in the country of his birth.

With the surface at the National Stadium a near-replica of what it was at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Khawaja wouldn’t get a better opportunity of scoring a daddy hundred.

While a brisk 82-run opening partnership alongside David Warner (36) had set the tone for Khawaja on Saturday, a 159-run partnership for the third wicket alongside Steven Smith (72) had witnessed the 35-year old player reaching to the three-figure mark. It was in the 64th over that Khawaja had run a single off Pakistan spinner Sajid Khan to complete his century.

Callum Ferguson eulogizes Usman Khawaja for century in Karachi Test

Khawaja, who received accolades from numerous high-profile names for extending his run-spree, also impressed former Australia batter Callum Ferguson today.

A domestic stalwart himself, Ferguson has been witness to Khawaja grinding runs for Queensland over the years across Australia’s domestic tournaments. Even in Ferguson’s last representative match for South Australia last year, Khawaja had scored 50 (56) in a Marsh Cup match in Brisbane.

The only time when Ferguson and Khawaja represented Australia together was the former’s first and last Test against South Africa at the Bellerive Oval in 2016. However, the pair remained a constant part of Big Bash League franchise Sydney Thunder’s batting unit between 2017-2021.