A SUBURBAN ground in Canberra's south is the last place Test discard Usman Khawaja thought he'd be when he started the summer as Australia's successor to Ricky Ponting.

And while Michael Clarke's side chases a series whitewash against India in Adelaide on Tuesday, Khawaja will inconspicuously go about his business at Chisholm Oval.

Six weeks after being axed from the Test side, Khawaja will be part of a NSW second XI team to play against an ACT Invitational XI in a three-day match.

The graffiti on signs at the ground and the padlocked toilet block will be a stark reminder of just how far Khawaja has fallen.
It's a long way from the Adelaide Oval where a packed crowd will cheer Clarke's men to destroy India.
And to rub salt into the 25-year-old's wounds is the fact he has legitimate claims to still have his No3 batting spot in the Test side.

Khawaja averaged 22.7 in his two Tests against New Zealand to begin the Australian summer. His career Test average is 29.22. They're hardly remarkable figures.

But his replacement, Shaun Marsh, has scored just 14 runs in four innings against India.
If Khawaja wants his place in the Test team back, he can't afford a dismal effort in Canberra this week.
He will be joined by two other axed Test players - Trent Copeland and Nathan Hauritz - in the NSW second XI side in Canberra.

''Uzzie [Khawaja] is the unlucky one with Shaun Marsh scoring a hundred on debut in Sri Lanka as well,'' Copeland said of his teammate.

''But we are both still very young, we are both still 25 and there is still a lot of cricket ahead of us. It is not the end of the world and I'm sure we will be back.''

The scheduling of the Big Bash League has meant that the Sheffield Shield has been on hiatus since December 9 and Copeland wants to use this match to try to start his push for Test re-selection claims.

''It is just unfortunate with the ways things have gone with the Australian summer with no four-day cricket around to force yourself back into the Test side. It is one of those things you just can't help.''

The 25-year-old fast-medium bowler played three Tests last year for Australia but has fallen in the Australia fast bowler pecking order after brilliant performances from Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Mitchell Starc and the injured James Pattinson and Patrick Cummins since making his debut in Sri Lanka in August.

Copeland took six wickets in Australia's one-nil series victory over Sri Lanka and was a member of the squad that went to South Africa but has not played in a Test match since the third Test in Colombo in September.

''That is the unfortunate thing about cricket, sometimes you can still be winning and not do a lot wrong and still get dropped,'' he said.

''In my case Ryan Harris got injured for the third Test in Sri Lanka, Peter Siddle and I both played in that game and then the next game Ryan Harris was back and they had to choose between me and Sidds [Peter Siddle] and they rightly went with Sidds.''

The game at Chisholm will also act as a warm-up match for NSW's Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania which starts on February 6.

The NSW 2nd XI also includes Sean Abbott, Scott Coyte and Tim Cruickshank who all played in the Big Bash for Sydney Thunder.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – 3 Day Match

NSW Second XI v ACT at Chisholm Oval at 10.30am. Entry is free.

NSW Team

Sean ABBOTT, Trent COPELAND, Scott COYTE, Tim CRUICKSHANK, David, DAWSON, Nathan HAURITZ, Scott HENRY, James KENNEDY, Usman KHAWAJA, Tristan MCDONALD, Cameron MERCHANT, Adam ZAMPA

ACT Team

Matthew Gawthrop, Aaron Ayre, Dean Solway, Micheal Spaseski, Beau McLintock, Kieran Gray, Vele Dukoski, Shane Devoy, Daniel Roots, Djali Bloomfield, Luke Behrendorff, Greg West

Thank you to the Canberra times for this article.