Usman Khawaja doesn't mind opening for Australia

Usman Khawaja will play for the Sydney Thunder in Sunday's KFC Big Bash League match

Australian Test batsman Usman Khawaja is ready to open the innings alongside David Warner on Boxing Day against West Indies. But Khawaja will first test his healing hamstring for the Sydney Thunder on Sunday against Melbourne Stars.

Many have considered Joe Burns is more likely than Shaun Marsh to find himself in the first XI. The national selectors have to work out who will miss out should Khawaja be fit to return to the Australian Test team.

While Marsh has stated his comfort with batting at No. 5, Khawaja is far less distressed. Khawaja often opened for New South Wales (NSW), and the fact that a No. 3 batsman can frequently find himself batting within the start of an innings is another thing in his favour.

I grew up all my life opening: Khawaja

In an interview, the 29-year-old said: "It doesn't bother me batting anywhere in the top six, I wouldn't want to bat seven. I'm easy, in first-class cricket I've batted every position from one to six. If they wanted me to bat one, three, five, I'll still approach the game in the same sort of manner. That's not a big deal to me.

"There's been plenty of times where I've been there the second ball batting, there's not a big difference batting three or opening at times, at other times there is. Sometimes I can be in there in the 30th over batting at three, but it's just a mindset sort of thing. I grew up all my life opening; I started playing for NSW at five and six, so I've had a bit of both."

Twenty20's intense pace makes it a difficult test of provoke injuries. The Pakistani-born Australian cricketer said he would be pushing himself as hard as possible, even though he admitted he was often left with sore hamstrings after T20 matches. Khawaja added "For your hammies definitely it's a challenge"

"If there's one thing that gets real sore after a T20 game for me it's my hamstrings, so it's going to be a test. I'm not going to go out there and nurse it in any way because I want to test it - I don't want to go into Boxing Day without having that sort of confidence under my belt. I'm going to go out pretty hard, do what I can and get some game time back in.

"I had to do some hamstring tests, they went really well, a big improvement from where I was a week ago. I'’ve done fitness tests all the way through the last four weeks.”