Khawaja, Smith steer Aussies to big win

It’s a measure of how quickly fortunes can turn in professional sport that Usman Khawaja yesterday played his most meaningful international innings for several months yet might well find himself out of Australia’s ODI starting XI for their next match.

Khawaja top-scored with an unbeaten 82 and was named man-of-the-match in Australia’s thumping nine-wicket win over Ireland in Benoni, having been elevated to the top of the order to open the innings with vice-captain David Warner.

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But less than a year after the mighty clamour for his elevation to Australia’s limited-overs set-up that erupted on the back of his relentless runs scoring at Test and domestic level, Khawaja knows he is currently on borrowed time.

And while he filled his pockets when given the opportunity against Ireland yesterday, he remains outside the most recent Test XI that took to the field in Sri Lanka last month.

Plus he was only added to the 14-man squad for the month-long Qantas Tour of South Africa because fellow left-hander Shaun Marsh was ruled out with a fractured finger.

What’s more, the opening vacancy only arose yesterday because Aaron Finch is also overcoming the effects of a broken finger but he is expected to return to the role when Australia begins their five-match series against South Africa at Centurion on Friday.

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As a consequence, 29-year-old Khawaja refuses to read too much into his success and maintains a philosophical outlook on the shift in luck that not only saw him in the starting XI but the beneficiary of a couple of dropped catches by Ireland’s fielders in compiling his decisive score.

"I’m assuming he’ll be fit," Khawaja said as he contemplated a return to drinks-carrying duties on Friday should Finch be passed available to play against the Proteas.

"He’s been batting and fielding and bowling, so I assume he’ll be back soon and he was very close to playing in that first match.

"He’s the opener and he’s been the opener with Davey (Warner) for a while so it’s just part and parcel of the game and I’ll let the selectors deal with that.

"At the moment, I’m just happy that we’ve got this first victory and it’s still a long tour so anything can happen.

"I’ll just keep preparing like I am playing, and if I get the opportunity I will and if I don’t I’ll do everything I can from the sidelines to help the boys win.

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"You can never count your chickens in cricket, and in life. You can’t get too far ahead.

"Obviously I’m only here because Shaun Marsh hurt a finger and then Aaron Finch was still out with a broken finger, so I got an opportunity to open the batting.

"Every game for Australia is a blessing, I love playing for my country so to get out there and be man-of-the-match in the first game of the tour is a really nice feeling."

The other warm glow that Khawaja was able to enjoy as he guided Australia home with 20 overs up their sleeves was the chance to play in conditions more innately familiar than the dry, spinning pitches of Sri Lanka.

Where Khawaja, and a number of his teammates, became so sapped of confidence during the 0-3 Test series loss they found it impossible to shake those ghosts when the white-ball games rolled around.

"It was a tough time over there, it’s been a tough couple of months," he said.

"From an individual point of view it’s nice to get out there and score some runs (against Ireland) because we played some really good cricket at the back half of Sri Lanka, but I still didn’t contribute the way I wanted to contribute over there.

"I had a tough time over there but I’m glad I can contribute to a win first up here."

Khawaja happy to respond following SL tour

Of course luck, rather like beauty, often resides within the eye of the beholder.

So it is that South Africa’s ill-fortune in losing their captain AB de Villiers on the eve of the five-match ODI Series against Australia and for the three-Test tour to follow might also be seen as a blessing for Australia’s bowlers.

As well as a curse for those lovers of pure cricket skill who might bear witness to increasingly fewer of de Villiers’ awe-inspiring deeds as he enters the twilight of a remarkable career.

"I don’t know who’s going to take over his role but they’ve got big shoes to fill," Khawaja noted when asked for his take on the elbow surgery that will sideline the one-day game’s top-ranked batsman for at least the next two months.

"He’s one of the best batsmen in the world.

"Looking at it from that point of view, it’s never nice to see a player not play, especially AB because he brings a lot of people through the gates and that’s what it’s all about in the end.

"But he’s a big player for them so they are weakened.

"Obviously South Africa’s got a lot of depth in their batting and their bowling, and I expect whoever is going to come up and replace him will do a good job too."