Usman Khawaja took a dig at the Australian selectors who kept him out of the Test team for over two years after he achieved a "special" career milestone in India. The left-hander scored an unbeaten century on day one of the fourth Test against India, finishing the day on 104 not out, and shared an unbeaten 85-run partnership with Cameron Green. While Khawaja had toured India before in 2013 and 2017, he was left on the sidelines in both series. His century in this match was his first in India and against India, and he expressed his emotions over achieving this feat.
In his press conference at the end of day one, Khawaja criticised the team for not supporting him enough in his earlier career, particularly in Asia, and for repeatedly dropping him despite his abilities. Khawaja was dropped during the 2019 Ashes series in England and did not make it back into the Test side until January 2022. Since then, he has made a remarkable comeback with six centuries in 15 Tests, with an average of 69.53.
Khawaja displayed a gritty side to his game on day one of the fourth Test, with his century coming off 246 deliveries. He said that he didn't want to give his wicket away on such a nice wicket.
