New Delhi, Dec 16 (NationPress) Australia’s head coach Andrew McDonald expressed unwavering faith in Usman Khawaja despite the seasoned opener being excluded from the lineup for the third Ashes Test, referring to him as an essential member of the team.

Khawaja, who was unable to participate in the second Test victory in Brisbane due to back spasms, faced challenges opening in Australia’s first innings after a prolonged absence due to his back injury during England’s batting in the series opener in Perth.

Even though Khawaja claimed he was ‘100 percent fit’ and eager to join the third Ashes Test in Adelaide, he conveyed his determination to wear the whites and compete for Australia despite his ongoing health and performance issues.

However, the veteran opener, who has only participated in a single innings in the ongoing Ashes series against England due to his back problems, was left out of the Playing XI for the Adelaide Test.

“He has had one back injury in his entire career. I believe it is an overreaction to link that to the age of the athlete. He prepares excellently; his Shield statistics are exceptionally good compared to others – he has the leading runs average for the past three to four years,” McDonald stated on SEN Mornings.

“Every time he returns to that level, he excels. If that determines who is the next best or who is next in line in Australian cricket, then he is at the top of that list.

“He is highly regarded within this squad. We have three Test matches remaining in this series – if he plays this one, fantastic; he gets that chance. If not, he remains a vital part of this group. We always say we’ll need a squad to get through. I cannot emphasize enough how much Usman has contributed over the last few years,” he added.

Khawaja will turn 39 on Thursday, and his career hangs in the balance, but McDonald firmly believes that age is not a factor for him, the selectors, or for the opener.

“I think everyone is getting fixated on the same age and wanting an end date,” he remarked. “It seems people want to hear an end date from him or from us – we are not that team. We will not set end dates on things.

“Everyone pushes it back into the David Warner space – Davey was astute in going game by game at one point, and he was aware of that – he set his own end date, which was incredibly motivating for him.

“He established that target, and it was a personal choice for him. I think Uz has publicly stated he is approaching it Test by Test; he simply loves playing Test match cricket and wishes to continue,” he concluded.