Ashes 2021-22: Usman Khawaja goes into the history book with centuries in both the innings

Australian batter Usman Khawaja goes into the history book after smashing back to back centuries in both the innings in the ongoing Sydney Test of the Ashes 2021-22 series. Khawaja becomes only the third player to score hundreds in both innings of a test match at Sydney Cricket Ground, SCG. Meanwhile, he becomes the only player to do it in an Ashes test series.

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Usman Khawaja showed the way, moving smoothly through his batting gears and stroking calmly round the compass on the way to his second hundred of the match. At times, it resembled a master class. Khawaja zoomed past a half-century with boundaries through mid-wicket, extra cover, and backward point from consecutive deliveries. He swept Leach and Root out of the rough for sixes, flipped the bat face, and reverse swept with equal facility.

Ashes 2021-22: Players to score tons in both the inning in a test match in Sydney :

Doug Walters 1968/69 - 242 & 103 vs West Indies

Ricky Ponting 2005/06 - 120 & 143* vs South Africa

Usman Khawaja 2021/22 - 137 & 101* v England

Usman Khawaja is the only player to do it in an Ashes series.

All the while, Australia's lead grew and they set a target of 388. Cameron Green played good innings of 74 before he got out. For England, Jack Leach took four wickets as Australia declares on 265-6 with a healthy lead of 387 runs. Coming to chase, England openers manages to hold their nerves. At the Stumps on Day 4, England's score stands at 30-0 in 11 overs and still 358 runs needed for their first victory in the Ashes 2021-22 series.

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Interestingly, England has not made 300 in an innings all summer. In their last encounter, they could not total it in two innings. Khawaja, in fact, ended up outscoring England during the Boxing Day Test. But how much of a good thing is too much? We shall see.