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Ashes Test: Ahead of the second Ashes Test, Marnus Labuschagne highlighted Usman Khawaja’s sustained excellence but avoided offering an opinion on whether the veteran should be retained for this week’s pink-ball game here at The Gabba.

Despite nearing 39, Khawaja remains central to Australia’s Ashes considerations, with team insiders continuing to value his experience and reliability. Since regaining his Test spot four years ago, Khawaja has outscored every other Australian in the format and stands as the only batter in the current squad to feature in all three previous pink-ball Tests at the Gabba.

"Usman's a high-quality player. You look at his record… what he's done for Australian cricket. Especially since he's come back, he's been super consistent; he's been really the rock at the top there," Labuschagne told reporters ahead of Australia’s training session on Monday.