"Khawaja has a hitlist of people he wants to have a crack at every time he performs well" - Brad Hogg on the southpaw's fruitful subcontinent tour
Former Australian spinner Brad Hogg has heaped praise on Usman Khawaja's performances in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The veteran batter finished as the leading run scorer in the four-match affair with 333 runs in seven innings.
After being shunned on the sidelines during Australia's last two red ball trips to India, Khawaja finally earned his chance and silenced his critics.
The 36-year-old's tour also included a marathon 10-hour innings in the fourth Test, where he scored 180 off 422 deliveries.
Speaking about Khawaja's exploits during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Hogg said on his YouTube channel:
"Khawaja has a hitlist of people he wants to have a crack at every time he performs well. Everyone was telling him that he cannot play spin and then he got a hundred, so he reminded those people who kept him out of the game for a very long time."
The left-handed batter has been quite vocal about his critics, who questioned his ability to play spin, especially in subcontinent conditions.
Hogg also spoke about Cameron Green, who made his presence felt in the latter stages of the tour and even brought up his maiden Test hundred. He said:
"MI fans will be really happy with Cameron Green, they will also see him bowl at the home venue in the first ODI as well."
Green, who will play for Australia in the first ODI against India at the Wankhede Stadium on March 17, will call the venue home in a few weeks' time.
The all-rounder was roped in by five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 mini-auction for a whopping sum of ₹17.50 crore.
"If Warner plays the WTC final, it could be his last game" - Brad Hogg
David Warner, who expressed his desire to win a Test series in India and England before retiring, is at a serious crossroads now.
His subcontinent tour was cut short due to injury and with Travis Head performing well as an opener in his absence, the complications continue to rise.
Opining that Warner deserves to play in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, but not the Ashes, Hogg said:
"If Warner plays the WTC Final, it could be his last game. I think he deserves that, if it was someone who had a short career, I would have considered someone like Cameron Bancroft opening the innings and restoring Head back in the middle order."
He continued:
"It's once again a horses for courses situation. Travis Head might have to change his role, a bit like KL Rahul. In subcontinent pitches, he can open the batting and back in the middle order in seaming conditions. For the Ashes, Warner out, Bancroft in, and Head in the middle order."
Warner had a horrid tour of England in 2019, where he was persistently troubled by Stuart Broad with the new ball.
He failed to amass even 100 runs over the five-match series and was on the lookout to make amends.
Will David Warner be selected for the Ashes 2023? Let us know what you think.
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