Lean run won't unsettle Khawaja

It takes a lot to unsettle languid Australia batsman Usman Khawaja and a lean series with the bat to date won't trigger panic in the veteran.

Khawaja has registered scores of 28, eight and five across the first two Domain Tests against India as Australia look to level the series in Perth after suffering defeat in Adelaide.

While the 31-year-old hasn't put a big total on the board, he has fought hard for his wicket having faced 205 balls from India's suffocating all-round attack. 

The low scores follow a career-defining 141 against Pakistan in the UAE, his first Test century in Asia, to drive Australia to a memorable draw in Dubai.

The left-hander is also just three games back from undergoing minor knee surgery, but has shown no signs of any inconvenience, as shown by his acrobatic catch to remove India captain Virat Kohli in the first Test.

As a senior batsman in the side following the suspensions of Steve Smith and David Warner, Khawaja has shouldered more responsibility this summer.

But despite the lack of runs, he is remaining positive with the knowledge of how fickle cricket can be.  

"Cricket is a funny game," Khawaja said. "It goes in circles. 

"I've scored a lot of runs this year. A lot of runs in first-class cricket over in Glamorgan, then 'Aussie A', and then in the UAE. 

"There's going to be a couple of innings here and there where I don't, and that's just part of the game. 

"Nothing changes a lot. Credit to the bowlers when they bowl well to you. 

"If you're not scoring runs you don't have to re-invent the wheel. 

"You go out there next time and get some more runs.

"It could be a lot worse. I could get three first-ballers."

Domain Test Series v India

Dec 6-10: First Test, Adelaide Oval, India won by 31 runs

Dec 14-18: Second Test, Perth Stadium

Dec 26-30: Third Test, MCG

Jan 3-7: Fourth Test, SCG

Australia squad: Tim Paine (c, wk), Josh Hazlewood (vc), Mitch Marsh (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Chris Tremain

India squad: Virat Kohli (c), Murali Vijay, KL Rahul, Prithvi Shaw, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Parthiv Patel (wk), Ravi Ashwin, Ravi Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar