Khawaja returns with Australia A hit-out

Australia A captain Usman Khawaja took another important step in his comeback to top-level cricket today with his first competitive match in seven months.

The my FootDr Queensland Bulls batsman was in action at Allan Border Field in a one-day game against the National Indigenous Squad, his first game since suffering a serious knee injury training with the Sydney Thunder on the eve of the KFC T20 Big Bash League last December.

Khawaja, who will lead the Australia A squad on their tour of India later this month, came through soundly with a measured 31 from 28 balls as an opener alongside young South Australian captain Travis Head (61).

Fellow Redback Callum Ferguson, who had a similar fightback from injury as Khawaja after having a knee reconstruction in 2009, made a stylish 101 retired as Australia A made 338 in their 50 overs in the final game for the NIS squad as part of their 10-day camp at the Bupa National Cricket Centre.

Khawaja admitted he was nervous coming into the game.

“I’d done a lot of training and had worked hard but it isn’t the same as doing things under match conditions, so I was a bit anxious coming into this morning,” he said.

“But my knee felt pretty good. I ran a three, a two and some ones so it felt normal and good. I was going pretty hard and trying to push myself.

“It was nice to get out there just to play after seven months.”

Khawaja said he did not expect to have any restrictions placed on him during the A tour but admitted match conditioning would be the unknown factor.

“Fitness-wise I am up on all of the marks we use compared to last year, but obviously I haven’t been tested with the workload of a four-day game for instance.

“I am stronger than I was this time last year – I am up five kilograms on last year which has mainly come through adding muscle to my legs and elsewhere. I will want to add more aerobic fitness now but overall it is as good as we could have hoped for.”

In a pleasing sign for Australia’s depth charts, returning fast bowler James Pattinson looked sharp in his eight overs that netted him 1-25 while fellow quicks Gurinder Sandhu (2-16 from five overs) and Sean Abbott (1-26 from five overs) also worked up good pace.

The NIS chased hard, with Queensland allrounder Preston White (66 off 60 balls) and Ayden McGregor-Baptista (56 off 48), lifting their side to 8-269 at the end of their 50 overs.

Full scorecard here

Australia A four-day squad: Usman Khawaja (c, QLD), Matthew Wade (VIC), Sean Abbott (NSW), Ashton Agar (WA), Cameron Bancroft (WA), Joe Burns (QLD), Andrew Fekete (TAS), Peter Handscomb (VIC), Travis Head (SA), Nic Maddinson (NSW), Glenn Maxwell (VIC), Stephen O'Keefe (NSW), Gurinder Sandhu (NSW), Marcus Stoinis (VIC).

Australia A one-day squad: Usman Khawaja (c, QLD), Matthew Wade (VIC), Sean Abbott (NSW), Ashton Agar (WA), Cameron Boyce (QLD), Joe Burns (QLD), Nathan Coulter-Nile (WA), Callum Ferguson (SA), Peter Handscomb (VIC), Travis Head (SA), Chris Lynn (QLD), James Pattinson (VIC), Gurinder Sandhu (NSW), Adam Zampa (SA). Stand-by: Andrew Fekete (TAS).

Coaches: Troy Cooley, Stuart Law.

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