Australian captain Pat Cummins won millions of hearts when he asked his teammates to keep champagne bottles away so that Usman Khawaja could join Ashes victory celebrations.
After being handed the Ashes trophy, Aussie players were about to open champagne bottles to spray on each other. But Cummins realized that Khawaja would not be able to be a part of the celebration because of his religious beliefs.
So, he signalled his teammates to keep the bottles away and asked Khawaja to join the trophy celebrations.
“Pat Cummins realizing that Khawaja had to stand away because of the alcohol so he tells his team to put it away and calls Khawaja back immediately. A very small but a very beautiful gesture,” tweeted Kanav Bali along with the video.
Khawaja is a practicing Muslim and alcohol is prohibited. Khawaja was included in the playing XI in the fourth Test match as Travis Head’s replacement. The 35-year-old became only the third player to hit a century in both innings of a Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, smashing 137 and 101 (not out) against England. He also became the sixth Australian batter to score twin tons in a single Ashes Test.
Despite his power-packed knocks, England managed to hold Australia and draw the fourth Test match.
Khawaja kept his place in the fifth Test match but failed to replicate his form from the previous game.
Earlier, Pat Cummins made a brilliant start to his Test captaincy career on Sunday when he led Australia to a 4-0 victory over England in the 2021-22 Ashes series. Succeeding Tim Paine in that role, Cummins not only helped his side retain the urn but also put in a dominating display.
After the fourth Ashes Test ended in a thrilling draw, the hosts hammered Joe Root’s side in the fifth and final match, winning by 146 runs in Hobart.
