Usman Khawaja ended his Test career on a winning note, as Australia defeated England in the fifth and final Test of the Ashes 2025-26 that was played in Sydney. Australia defeated England by five wickets in the final Test and took the series 4-1.
Usman Khawaja, who had announced his retirement from international cricket before the SCG Test, scored 17 and 6 runs in his 88th and final Test match.
When he came out to bat in Australia’s second innings, Usman Khawaja received a guard of honour from the England players, acknowledging his brilliant career.
Cheers erupted in the stadium as England's players presented him with a guard of honour; he shook hands with captain Ben Stokes before joining Marnus Labuschagne at the crease. Khawaja was dismissed for six, and as he exited the field, he knelt to kiss the ground and waved to the spectators.
Speaking to the media following Australia's victory, Khawaja expressed thanks for winning the final game of his career and the opportunity to celebrate with his teammates.
"It means a lot. So much has gone into it, so long. It's funny, the game of cricket is so great. And I said to Rach this morning, she was like, just enjoy it. The only thing I wanted was to win. Finish off the Ashes with a win. I'd love nothing more. As much as I wanted to go out there and score runs and hit the winning runs, I'm just grateful for one last final win and celebrate with my teammates,” Khawaja stated.
The 39-year-old stated that he found it hard to concentrate, with his emotions being all over the place.
"It was very tough. I was trying to act cool, but in the intense Test match, I found it really hard to control my emotions. I've prided myself on being able to control my emotions my whole career. I haven't given away too much to the opposition or to anyone. I found it really hard to concentrate a lot. Even in the first innings, I found it hard to get into a rhythm. And even today, it was... my whole career, particularly the last end of the career has been built on process, process, process.
It's just so hard to go out there and concentrate. But I'm glad we got the win, got over the line. And it's something I'll cherish for the rest of my life, being able to finish here at the SCG,” he added.
(IANS inputs)
