Did you see… Usman Khawaja ramp the ball into his own off stump?
Everyone thinks the big Usman Khawaja development from the South Africa match was that he twanged his hammy. Despite it being ‘as good a strain as you can get’ according to Justin Langer, Khawaja has been twung out of the tournament.
But that wasn’t the big Usman Khawaja development. That wasn’t the big Usman Khawaja development at all. Did you see his dismissal? His dismissal was the big development. Watch that dismissal and tell me it wasn’t ‘a sign’.
Khawaja, who was already injured, returned to the crease with four-and-a-bit overs of Australia’s innings remaining. Facing a delivery from Kagiso Rabada, he sauntered way beyond his off stump, turned to face the bowler and deftly ramped the ball straight into his own Zing bails.
The Zings zang and Khawaja was no more. It was very weird, very fine, and clearly – clearly – a sign.
But a sign of what?
Australia have been a very odd team in this World Cup with their progress so far somehow both serene and wince-inducingly awkward. They’ve floated clankingly into the semi-final, like the ghost of a knight clad in weighty, cumbersome armour.
MORE THINGS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SEEN
- Did you see… Rohit Sharma looking nothing like Virat Kohli?
- Did you see… much of Joe Root in the highlights?
- Did you see… Ben Stokes react to being run-out by a deflection?
Just as an out-of-form batsman becomes more and more ‘due’ with every failure, so Australia must surely at some point have to face a bit of cosmological redress.
When Nathan Coulter-Nile top scores and you win, you’re owed one for that. Collapse like Australia did against Pakistan, you’re owed another.
Australia beat England after making 285-7 and they beat New Zealand after making 243-9. For a while they had Shaun Marsh in their squad. At some point they’re going to stop getting away with these things. At some point their luck will turn.
Injuries are a small part of this, but injuries happen to every team. Injuries represent only a very minor redistribution of fortune. Ramping the ball into your own stumps on the other hand? That’s highly unusual.
That’s not a debt being repaid. That’s a debt being claimed. That’s fortune sending in the heavies to actively extract some of what it’s owed.
Khawaja’s wicket was just one payment. On the evidence of this tournament, plenty more payments are still to be made.
Latest
-
NewsNational selector Ed Smith to leave England and Wales Cricket Board
The role is being abolished.
-
NewsEngland all-rounder Liam Livingstone flies home from IPL over ‘bubble fatigue’
The 27-year-old has yet to feature for the Rajasthan Royals during the current tournament.
-
NewsEngland hopeful Ollie Robinson stars as Sussex defeat Glamorgan by eight wickets
The visitors passed their target of 154 to win thanks to unbeaten half-centuries from Aaron Thomason and Tom Clark.
-
NewsOllie Pope hits 245 as Surrey take upper-hand over Leicestershire on day three
England batsmen Ollie Pope and Joe Root hit red-ball centuries for their county.
-
NewsMohammad Abbas hat-trick puts Hampshire in command against Middlesex
Lancashire’s Matt Parkinson produced a ball of the century contender against Northamptonshire.
-
NewsShubman Gill and Mohammed Siraj earn first BCCI contracts
Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, have suffered contract demotions.
-
NewsDom Sibley injury adds to England’s worries with Ben Stokes facing 12 weeks out
Stokes was injured playing in the IPL while Sibley was in County Championship action with Warwickshire.
-
NewsCan England cope without talisman Ben Stokes against New Zealand this summer?
All-rounder Stokes faces up to 12 weeks out with a fractured finger.
-
NewsBen Stokes ruled out for up to three months with broken finger
The England all-rounder will have surgery on the injury picked up playing in the Indian Premier League.
-
NewsScott Borthwick hits century as Durham get better of Essex at Chelmsford
Essex fell apart on the opening day of their County Championship clash with Durham.