Khawaja scored at will in Tests against New Zealand and the West Indies during the Australian summer, amassing 504 runs in just four Tests.

But after a less-than-impressive start on the subcontinent where he scored just 55 runs in four innings, Khawaja was dumped with the Test side in a tailspin. And he has no doubt that he and Burns were the fall guys for the 3-0 series defeat.

"It's a pretty big decision after just two Test matches," he said of the judgment to drop him. "It was disappointing that Joe Burns and I were sort of the scapegoats for not performing.

"I just thought that I'd only played two Test matches in the subcontinent and I got dropped. I wasn't the only person who wasn't scoring runs. There was only one other person who scored a 50 in the first two Test matches at that time and that was Steve Smith."

Describing the selectors as "fickle", Khawaja is still disappointed he wasn't given a longer stay in the Test side after dominating the Australian summer.

"I only had two bad Test matches on tough wickets [in Sri Lanka]," he said. "I found it pretty fickle that the selectors dropped me for the third one. It was disappointing how that panned out. But I guess there's some things you don't have control over."

During the week, former Test captain Steve Waugh backed Khawaja to return to the side for the first Test against South Africa starting on November 3, but said the top-order batsman needed to show more hunger to hold onto his spot.

Dismissing the criticism, Khawaja claimed his form last summer was enough to demonstrate his desire.

"I scored four Test hundreds in a row," he said in response to Waugh. "So I don't think so."

With selectors mulling over a range of options for the first Test, Khawaja says he is willing to bat anywhere in the order to get a run in Perth.

"I don't have a preference in general," he said. "I usually like being somewhere up the top. If I'm in the team, I'm expecting to be three, but if they want me to bat somewhere else, I'd be happy to do that. I don't really care. It doesn't bother me too much."

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis grabbed headlines during the week when he said the Australians would be mentally scarred from the 5-0 one-day whitewash in South Africa. Khawaja, however, isn't fazed, pointing to the very different make-up of that squad to the Test side that will face the Proteas.

"The Test team is different from the one-day team," he said. "Our Test bowlers weren't there either. So I don't think so."

But before the Test series gets underway, Khawaja will focus on the Matador Cup final at North Sydney Oval on Sunday.

Up against defending champions NSW, he is expecting a tough challenge but is hopeful the Bulls can lift the domestic one-day trophy for the first time in three years.

"I think everyone's in a really good spot," he said. "We've had a really good run of it so far, but obviously it only matters what happens in the final now.

"We've been in this position before at North Sydney, so hopefully we can take a bit out of the last time we won it and do it again this time."

The traditionally batting friendly wicket and small boundaries at North Sydney also have Khawaja excited.

"You've still got to get off the mark first," he said. "But when you're in, it is a very nice place to bat.

"This season it may not have been as flat as it's been in previous years, but batsmen are always excited to play at North Sydney."