Khawaja confirmed for Sydney Ashes take a look at

Australia head coach and selector Andrew McDonald has confirmed Usman Khawaja will play within the fifth Ashes take a look at in opposition to England on the Sydney Cricket Floor amid media hypothesis it may very well be his final worldwide.
The oldest participant in an ageing squad, the 39-year-old lefthander’s spot within the line-up is underneath scrutiny following his demotion down the batting order and as selectors look to the long run.
With the promoted Travis Head taking his opening spot, Khawaja batted at quantity 4 within the third Adelaide take a look at and quantity 5 within the fourth match in Melbourne.
Whereas some experiences in Australian media have advised Sydney may very well be Khawaja’s final worldwide, McDonald stated he had not had any conversations with him about his future.
“There is not any indication at my finish that he is calling it in Sydney,” McDonald advised reporters in Melbourne on Monday.
“However his efficiency on this calendar 12 months has been ok to warrant choice so I would say he’ll be there marking centre in Sydney.”
Khawaja has not spoken publicly of his plans and returned house to Queensland for a break with household forward of the Sydney take a look at, which begins on January 4.
The 87-test veteran suffered again spasms through the first Ashes take a look at in Perth and missed the second match in Brisbane.
He’s averaging simply over 30 with the bat in his three Ashes checks and scored 82 at Adelaide Oval to assist Australia seal the sequence with two matches to spare.
Nevertheless, he scored 29 and nil in his two innings within the fourth take a look at in Melbourne because the hosts slumped to a four-wicket defeat.
Whereas criticised for a gentle dismissal in his second innings in Melbourne, Khawaja’s numbers stack up higher than a number of Australian batters this sequence, together with opener Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne and all-rounder Cameron Inexperienced.
On the bowling entrance, Australia will once more be with out three of their world-class bowlers in Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon in Sydney.
Cricket Australia (CA) stated in an damage replace on Monday that Lyon wouldn’t play any additional half within the house summer season after having surgical procedure on a high-grade hamstring damage he sustained through the third Ashes take a look at.
A goal date for his return can be decided later.
CA stated Hazlewood had began operating once more after hamstring and Achilles accidents and was on monitor to play within the T20 World Cup beginning on February 7.
McDonald stated Cummins can be included in Australia’s squad of 15 for the World Cup, to be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, however would have to be cleared by a scan on his decrease again.
“Pat can have a scan, I feel in one other 4 weeks, in order that’ll give us the knowledge then on the place he is at for the World Cup,” McDonald added.
 
‘Unsatisfactory’ MCG pitch
The Melbourne Cricket Floor (MCG) pitch for the Boxing Day take a look at between Australia and England has been given an “unsatisfactory” score after 20 wickets fell within the first three classes and the match was wrapped up inside two days.
England gained the low-scoring fourth Ashes take a look at by 4 wickets on a minefield of a pitch, with the untimely end leaving Cricket Australia (CA) hundreds of thousands of {dollars} out of pocket.
“The MCG pitch was an excessive amount of in favour of the bowlers,” match referee Jeff Crowe stated in a press release issued by the governing Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday.
“With 20 wickets falling on the primary day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was ‘Unsatisfactory’ as per the rules and the venue will get one demerit level.”
The MCG’s demerit level will stand for the following 5 years. A venue accruing six demerit factors in a five-year interval results in a one-year ban on internet hosting a global cricket match.
Curator Matt Web page was left in a “state of shock” on the breakneck tempo of the match on a greentop the place MCG workers had left 10 millimetres of grass – three mm taller than final 12 months’s Boxing Day take a look at.
CA Chief of Cricket James Allsopp stated the pitch didn’t present  the MCG’s customary  steadiness  between bat and ball however was assured the difficulty wouldn’t be repeated.
“We’re  assured they’ll  ship  first-rate surfaces  for subsequent 12 months’s Boxing Day take a look at in opposition to New Zealand and the  massively  anticipated  a hundred and fiftieth  anniversary take a look at in opposition to England in  March  2027,” he added.