Usman Khawaja Produces Sensational Century To Complete Fairytale Comeback
It comes almost 11 years to the day since he made his Test debut at the Ashes.
Usman Khawaja, you are the man.
The Australian cricketer has scored 100 runs in the fourth Ashes Test against England in what is his ninth century for his country.
But this isn't your average ton.
No, this emphatic outing in his own Sydney backyard caps off perhaps one of the best comebacks in Australian cricket folklore.
The impressive haul is Khawaja's first in Test cricket whites since February 2019.
It is also almost 11 years on the dot since the 35-year-old made his Test debut in the Ashes at, you guessed it, the Sydney Cricket Ground.
But perhaps what makes this performance even more impressive was how close it came to never happening - well, sort of.
In the final ball of the second last over before tea, Australian captain Pat Cummins took a single, meaning he'd be back on strike for the last six balls of the session.
And with Khawaja on 99 runs, the passionate Sydney crowd were desperate to see him reach three figures before tea - a couple of people even booing Cummins.
Thankfully, Cummins and Khawaja scurried across the wicket a few balls into the final over, meaning the big man was on strike.
And, well, he didn't disappoint.
Khawaja dispatched a Jack Leach ball away with relative ease and reached a century as the SCG crowd rose to their feet.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Khawaja then wheeled away in celebration, even pulling out LeBron James' iconic 'silencer' move.
It was a special moment for a truly special player - something he has surely been waiting for for about three years.
Well deserved, sir.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Cricket, ashes, Usman Khawaja, Cricket News, Australia
Max Sherry