Australia opener Usman Khawaja ticked a major box on Thursday as he brought up his first hundred in India in the ongoing Ahmedabad Test to put his team in a commanding position on Day 1.
Khawaja scored his 14th century and became the first Australian left-hander to score a Test ton in India in 13 years after Marcus North's hundred in Bengaluru in 2010/11.
He batted the entire day, becoming only the second cricketer to achieve the feat against India in India since Sri Lankan Dinesh Chandimal's 25* and 147* in the 2017 Delhi Test.
Khawaja shines on his 3rd tour of India
This is Khawaja's third Test tour to India but he's only got the chance to play in the Aussie playing XI in this series and he was over the moon after his knock at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera.
"It was a lot of emotion in that (hundred). I have been to India on two tours before this, and carried the drinks in eight Test matches.
"It was such a nice wicket; I just didn't want to give my wicket away. It was a mental battle more than anything. You need to put your ego away and need to keep doing it for a long time," Khawaja said after the day's play.
'I have no superstitions'
Khawaja remained unbeaten on 104 along with Cameron Green on 49 at the other end as Australia reached 255 for 4 at stumps after Steve Smith won the toss and elected to bat first.
Khawaja also opened up on his celebration after the hundred and said that he's got no superstitions like some other cricketers.
"I had the helmet in my right hand, I told him (Green) just me a hug, instead of a high five (following his century). I have no superstitions, I stretched a bit in the morning and I was ready to go," Khawaja said.
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here. To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
