Lehmann puts faith in recalled Khawaja

Australia coach Darren Lehmann has earmarked recalled batsman Usman Khawaja as a long-term cornerstone of the Test top order.

Khawaja, who played the most recent of his nine Tests on the 2013 Ashes tour, was today announced as part of Australia’s new-look Test squad for the Qantas Tour of Bangladesh, beginning October 3 with a tour match and followed by two Tests.

Quick Single: Bangladesh Test tour schedule

"The way he’s played over the past few years I think he’s showed (he’s ready),” Lehmann said. “I had him (when coaching) at Queensland as well and I thought he was a class player.

"He went on the 2013 Ashes tour and probably didn’t play as well as he would have liked. But he’s gone back and done exactly what, as a coach (I want to see).

"He’s changed his game a little bit and delivered what we wanted, which was a thirst of runs in all formats.

Quick Single: Fekete, Bancroft in Test squad

"Whilst he missed out (on selection) in the one-day series, he’s now in the Test squad, it’s going to be a good challenge for him going forward.

"We think he can actually play a lot of Test cricket for us.

"He’ll get a good opportunity at it, a good run and he’s one of the guys we talked about at the end of the (Ashes) Test series.”

WATCH: Burns comfortable in any batting position

With the retirements of Michael Clarke, Chris Rogers and Shane Watson, there has rarely been less certainty around the make-up of Australia’s top six.

Khawaja has been moved about throughout his first-class and international career but Lehmann sees the left-hander somewhere in the top three.

"I’m pretty sure he’ll be one, two or three," Lehmann said. "And hopefully for a long time.

"He’s a couple of years older, a couple of years wiser. And again (he has that) thirst for runs that he needed to make big runs to force his hand to get back in the Australian team.

Quick Single: Unheralded Fekete continues stunning rise

"(He’s) 28. Mike Hussey was 30, Adam Gilchrist was 30, so he can play a lot of Test cricket. There’s a big push from the press to go really young, but for us it’s about getting the right balance between youth and experience and we think ‘Uz’ fills both those.

"It’s about getting the right opportunity at the right time.

"Hopefully this is Uzzy's right opportunity and right time, and he can just go about playing.

"He's a good young man and we've thought highly of him for a long period of time. We've had success and the hardest thing is changing a winning side, but now obviously we need change because we weren't winning."

WATCH: Cummins prepared for Test return

Lehmann also identified the leadership traits in Khawaja, which has this year alone seen him named both Queensland Bulls and Australia A captain, has a positive addition to the squad.

In an inexperienced team, he insists that quality could potentially be invaluable.  

"He'll still be young in terms of not playing many games, but he's been around a long while and with a young squad he'll be exceptional in that (leadership area),” he added.

"This is a young group and some experience will give them a chance to gel together. That's the big thing for us – making sure we get that right for him, especially as a top six batter.

"We've got a young leadership group with Steven (Smith) and David (Warner), they've been fantastic and have really got into it and are excited with the young kids.

"It's up to (Khawaja) now. He has to just go and play and let his technique and his results and experience do the rest.

"He'll get a good run at it. He's been in and out of the side a little bit and only played a few games here and there, but to give him a good run at it and see how he goes would be exciting for the coaching group but also exciting for him and the team.

"If (he) nails down that spot it will be fantastic for us going forward."