Injured Usman Khawaja out of Australia's next two Tests

A dejected Khawaja walking off the field

Usman Khawaja’s comeback to the Australian side has been cut short after a hamstring injury has ruled him out of Australia’s next two Test matches, reports ESPN Cricinfo.

The 28-year-old, who made two hundreds in the first three innings of the ongoing Test series with New Zealand injured himself while chasing a ball on day two of the WACA Test. His re-injured left hamstring sustained a moderate strain, which will rule him out of the third Test against the Kiwis and the opening Test against West Indies.

“It probably makes it worse in a way, because I feel so good. I think that's why I was so disappointed yesterday," he said. "Coming into the match it felt tight. I knew it was touch and go. I felt like it could've gone in this match, but at the same time I've had my hammy feel like that and I've got through before.

"I just really wanted to get through this game because I knew we had a 10-day break after it. To score two hundreds, you always feel good, so it was really disappointing when it happened because I guess I'd just started enjoying Test cricket. Hopefully I can be right and come back soon.”

After coming back from the knee injury that ruled him out of cricket last summer, Khawaja has been increasing his workload gradually but believes the last two weeks of cricket took its toll in Perth.

"I think the physio and the doctors are pretty adamant that if I take my time and do my rehab quite well and nip it in the bud I can always try and come back pretty early, but there’s a chance if I do that it might happen again,” the southpaw said.

“I’ve got to do everything possible that, hopefully, when I do come back playing again that I'm 100% and feeling really good, that I've got enough rehab plus enough workload in my legs to be able to handle Test cricket, to be able to handle back-to-back games.

“My workload over the past three weeks has been pretty huge, probably the biggest it has been since I've been back [from knee surgery]. It’s been tough…and a bad result in the end.”

Khawaja, however, hopes to be fit for the first Test against West Indies in Hobart.

“I got a scan this morning and it was pretty good, good news. I woke up and the hamstring feels pretty good, better than what I expected to be honest," he said. "I might even have a really tiny little trot tomorrow if I can.”

“When I found out the news I think most of the support staff and everything else were saying Boxing Day, if everything goes to plan, I'll be flying by then. I'd like to play the first Test against the West Inides…but at the same time I've got to assess how well my hamstring pulls up, how I'm recovering, how things are going."

"I need to nip it in the bud and make sure that I'm not trying to come back too early and it happens again, because that's good for no-one.”

Khawaja’s injury means that Australia will have to reshuffle their batting order for the next two tests, with Steven Smith likely to move back to No.3 and one of Shaun Marsh or Cameron Bancroft coming in at No.4.