Australia’s five-wicket victory in the fifth and final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground marked a significant moment for Usman Khawaja, as he walked off the field for the last time in his career, having announced his retirement just days before the match began.
On Day 5 of the SCG Test, as Khawaja took to the field, his teammates stepped back to let him lead them onto the pitch. The England team paid tribute by forming a guard of honour when he came out to bat for the final time, with Australia chasing a modest target of 160 runs.
After Australia’s win, Khawaja expressed his gratitude for concluding his career with a victory and celebrating with his teammates. He said, “It means a lot. So much has gone into it, so long. It’s funny, the game of cricket is so great. And I said to Rach this morning, she was like, just enjoy it. The only thing I wanted was to win. Finish off the Ashes with a win. I’d love nothing more. As much as I wanted to go out there and score runs and hit the winning runs, I’m just grateful for one last final win and celebrate with my teammates.”
In his final game, Khawaja’s scores were not what he hoped for, with figures of 17 and 6 in the two innings as he batted in the middle order. The 39-year-old admitted that managing his emotions was challenging during the match.
Reflecting on his struggle to maintain focus, Khawaja noted, “It was very tough. I was trying to act cool, but in the intense Test match, I found it really hard to control my emotions. I’ve prided myself on being able to control my emotions my whole career. I haven’t given away too much to the opposition or to anyone. I found it really hard to concentrate a lot. Even in the first innings, I found it hard to get into rhythm. And even today, it was… my whole career, particularly the last end of the career has been built on process, process, process.”
He added, “It’s just so hard to go out there and concentrate. But I’m glad we got the win, got over the line. And it’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life, being able to finish here at the SCG.”
Australia secured the Ashes series 4-1, reclaiming the urn after the final match at the SCG. Khawaja concluded his international cricket journey after a remarkable 15-year career in the same city where he grew up and made his first-class and Test debuts.