Burns repays selectors' faith

It took until 4.30pm, but the MCG crowd finally found a contest worthy of their attention this Boxing Day. There was booing, there was cheering, there was genuine interest in the outcome. Would Joe Burns or Usman Khawaja reach his hundred first? Oh, you thought this battle was between Australia and West Indies? No, by late afternoon Khawaja and Burns were the only dramatis personae involved, while Jason Holder's men relegated to the status of extras.

The batsmen had gone to tea almost level, Khawaja on 84, Burns on 83. For nearly half an hour after the resumption they traded the lead until Khawaja, on 97, sent a late cut towards the boundary. Jeers rang out around the ground as third man cut it off and kept the batsmen to two. Burns began the next over on strike, on 97, and managed to punch Jomel Warrican away through point for three, beating Khawaja to the ton by a nose, and two balls.

To see the reaction of Burns was to understand how tenuously he felt he was holding his place in this side. When he reached his maiden Test hundred against New Zealand at the Gabba last month, Burns' celebration was subdued, he soaked it all in like the level-headed individual that he is. But this time it was different. Having completed the third run, he tore off towards mid-off, ripped off his helmet and gave it a kiss, full of emotion, full of relief.

Later, commentating on ABC Grandstand, Chris Rogers said he had spoken to Burns after the Hobart Test and Burns felt certain he was going to be dropped for Boxing Day to accommodate the returning Khawaja. It would have been a harsh call but given Shaun Marsh's 182 at Bellerive Oval, it was understandable that he felt that way. When Burns spoke to the media in Melbourne earlier this week, he tried to put on a brave face, but looked like a man resigned to his fate.

What a moment, then, when Burns brought up his hundred. The selectors had rightly stuck with him - Burns had started the summer with three straight century partnerships with David Warner, and was far from out of form - and he had repaid their faith. When Khawaja scored a BBL hundred six days ago, Burns watched and was pleased for his mate, but worried what it might mean for his own Test place. Another MCG ton for Khawaja came today, with Burns nothing but thrilled.

Both men played brilliantly during their 258-run stand but much like in Hobart during the 449-run Marsh-Adam Voges partnership, the lack of pressure from the West Indian attack should be noted. Holder did the best he could and was admirably economical, but runs leaked more or less unchecked from the other end. Eventually Holder resorted to asking Carlos Brathwaite to bowl a defensive line wide of off, until umpire Marais Erasmus started calling wides.

By the end of the day Burns had finally been defeated, or perhaps defeated himself, by dancing down the wicket to be stumped off Kraigg Brathwaite. Khawaja also failed to reach stumps, caught down the leg side in the dying overs. Australia's captain Steven Smith was interviewed by ABC Grandstand this week and admitted that last summer he felt as though India simply weren't going to get him out. Khawaja might have a similar feeling at the moment.

He has now scored centuries in all three Tests that he has played this summer, as well as his BBL hundred for the Sydney Thunder, and not since October has he been dismissed for less than a hundred in any match, in any format of the game. If last year was the Summer of Steve, this one has belonged to Khawaja. That said, so many runs have been on offer against lacklustre bowling this season that Smith is Australia's only specialist batsman averaging under 50 for the summer.

Khawaja and David Warner have each made three centuries this summer, Burns and Voges two each, Smith and Shaun Marsh one apiece. And while those achievements are to be celebrated, they must also be put in perspective: apart from New Zealand's work with the pink ball in Adelaide, bowling pressure has been all but non-existent from Australia's opponents. Not to mention the West Indian fielding - Smith and Khawaja nearly ran a five on Boxing Day.

But Khawaja, Burns and their fellow batsmen might as well enjoy this bountiful summer while they can. It won't happen every year. And they will be judged as much by how they adapt to foreign conditions. Khawaja has the game to succeed all around the world but his past tours have been far from fruitful, Burns is in his seventh Test but all have come at home, and tours of New Zealand and Sri Lanka next year will test their adaptability.

Last time Australia toured Sri Lanka, Shaun Marsh scored a century on Test debut and Australia thought they had found a batsman for the next decade. Five years on they are still not quite sure what to do with him. He has opened, been first drop, No.4, No.5. He has been in and out of the side, again and again. And now, again. Often he has been lucky to be picked; this time he is unlucky to miss out. But Australia's selectors are happy with their top five. And after Burns repaid their faith on Boxing Day, they're even happier.