Australia's best hitters took advantage of a calm wicket to reach 271-2 on the third day of the first Test against Pakistan on Sunday, narrowly missing out on a century in his native nation.
Khawaja, whose family moved to Australia when he was four years old, scored 97 runs off the back of two dropped catches, while David Warner (68) and Marnus Labuschagne (69 not out) both struck aggressive half century.
“It's a bit disappointing, I would have loved the 100 out here in Rawalpindi-Islamabad where I grew up and have heard about it a lot from my family,” said Khawaja.
“I was having a lot of fun. I was enjoying playing and when you put it in perspective, I wasn’t even in the Australian team a few months ago, so I’m very grateful to be here and happy that I contributed to the team in the end.”
The third day's play was called off early due to bad light and heavy clouds, 21 overs ahead of schedule, while Australia batsmen flourished on a grassless surface.
After declaring at 476-4 late on the second day, Australia is still down by 205 runs in its first Test in Pakistan in 24 years.
In a shorter final session, Labuschagne, who hit nine boundaries, raised his half-century in cloudy conditions, and vice-captain Steve Smith was not out on 24 when umpires took the players off the field.