Ahead of the much-anticipated one-off World Test Championship (WTC) Final against South Africa, starting June 11 at Lord’s, Australia’s veteran opener Usman Khawaja remains unfazed by the uncertainty surrounding his opening partner. Instead, he is focused on delivering a strong individual performance with the bat.

The seasoned left-hander has been a constant presence at the top of Australia’s Test batting order throughout the WTC cycle.

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However, following David Warner’s retirement, the search for a reliable opening partner has continued. In the months since, Australia has experimented with several options, including Steve Smith, Nathan McSweeney, Travis Head, and promising youngster Sam Konstas.

There is also a possibility that Marnus Labuschagne might be promoted from his usual No. 3 position to open alongside Khawaja for the final against the Proteas.

While both Labuschagne and Konstas are currently in London and being considered for the opening role, Khawaja is not getting drawn into the speculation. He made it clear that his focus remains on his own preparation and performance.

“Not really, to be honest. Opening is so tough… I’m more worried about how the ball is going to behave and what I need to do,” Khawaja told ICC Digital.

“Whoever opens with me is probably thinking the same. Then we’re both out there working together on how to blunt this attack. It doesn’t change my game much. If anything, it’s a bit quieter without Davey. But for me, it’s about doing what I need to do for the team and working with my partner while I’m out there,” he added.

Khawaja’s role will be crucial to Australia’s title defence, having been their most prolific batter in the current WTC cycle with 1,422 runs heading into the final. Despite being 38, the Queenslander continues to perform at a high level and has no immediate plans to retire.

“To me, age is irrelevant. If I’m still enjoying the game, training hard, scoring runs, and contributing to the team, I still have the hunger,” he said.

“I don’t think of things differently. I’m just really enjoying my cricket right now. Everything that has a beginning has an end. I don’t know when that end will come, but for now, I’m staying in the moment, taking it one Test at a time. When it’s time to hang up the boots, I’ll do it gracefully,” he concluded.