Former Australian Test captain Michael Clarke has called for ageing batter Usman Khawaja to retire following the SCG match.

Khawaja, 38, has been one of Australia’s best contributors over several years but his return during this Border-Gavaskar series has been underwhelming.

The veteran has managed a paltry 141 runs at 20.14 against India – well below his career average of 44.38 from 77 Tests.

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He’s struggled against India’s swing king Jasprit Bumrah, although most of his teammates have as well.

Khawaja lost his long-term opening partner David Warner to retirement following last summer, and there are calls for the Sydneysider to farewell the baggy green now too.

“This is Uzzie’s home Test match, the SCG,” Clarke said on the Beyond 23 podcast.

“He has been an amazing player, absolutely amazing player. (He has) come back in, score runs overseas, score runs in Australia.

“He is 38 years of age, I think it could be a great opportunity for Uzzie to announce his retirement, and Sydney to be his last Test.

“I know he would like to keep playing. His form has not been as good as he would like throughout this series.

“I know we have got a trip to Sri Lanka, and then we have got the Ashes.

“There is a lot of cricket in between, but I also think that could be a great opportunity for a new player to come in, open the batting, get some Test match cricket under their belt before the first Ashes Test match.”

Prior to the Adelaide Test, Khawaja said he was keen to play next summer’s Ashes.

“If everything is going well there is no reason why I would not want to play another summer in Australia. My body is good, my mind is good and I am still hitting the ball well,” Khawaja said.

“The pride and joy and tradition of playing in the Ashes, there’s nothing like it. The emotion involved, you saw it last Ashes both on and off the field, there’s just so much involved with it. It’s pretty special.”

Australia heads to Sri Lanka for a Test series and will then likely be heading to England for a World Test Championship final against South Africa.

Those matches will likely be used as preparation for next summer’s home Ashes series, during which Khawaja would be turning 39.

The problem facing Australian selectors is how hard it was to find a replacement for Warner this summer.

Nathan McSweeney was jammed into the opening spot despite never batting there at first class level, and he was brutally dumped after three matches despite some teammates faring just as badly against India.

Teen star Sam Konstas looks like being a long-term option for Australia at the top of the order, while McSweeney showed enough talent to be considered a future Test batter too – although that may be lower down the order.

Khawaja is not the only ageing star in the Australian team, with Konstas the only player under 30 in the side currently.

Former captain Mark Taylor admits selectors may have to manage some players into retirement.

“There’s no doubt this side isn’t going to need to recoup over the next two or three years and selectors are going to have to be tough at times because I think players are less likely to retire these days, so therefore selectors have to be a little more ruthless,” Taylor told 2GB radio on Thursday.