In one other dominant day for the Australians with the sequence already gained, Khawaja peeled off an imperious unbeaten 195 – his highest Test rating – whereas Steven Smith handed a Don Bradman’s century landmark together with his thirtieth hundred.
Australia’s Usman Khawaja (L) runs between the wickets with Steve Smith as South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada (C) reacts throughout day two of the third cricket Test match between Australia and South Africa on the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney on 5 January 2023. Picture: DAVID GRAY/AFP
SYDNEY – Usman Khawaja was stranded simply brief of a pinnacle double-century when rain interrupted Australia’s run plunder in opposition to South Africa within the third Sydney Test on Thursday.
In one other dominant day for the Australians with the sequence already gained, Khawaja peeled off an imperious unbeaten 195 – his highest Test rating – whereas Steven Smith handed a Don Bradman’s century landmark together with his thirtieth hundred.
At the rain-enforced shut on day two, Australia had been 475 for 4 with Matt Renshaw – who examined optimistic for COVID-19 firstly of the match – 5 not out.
The runs saved flowing on one other demoralising day for the Proteas.
Khawaja and Smith shared in a 209-run stand and Travis Head rammed residence the initiative with a blistering 59-ball 70 to depart the guests but once more dealing with the uphill process of stopping Australia from claiming a sequence whitewash.
Khawaja surpassed his earlier highest rating of 174 made in opposition to New Zealand in Brisbane in 2015.
Smith handed Bradman’s 29 Test tons of with an impressive pull shot off Anrich Nortje to the boundary ropes to say a home-town hundred off 190 balls.
He was out two balls later for 104 when he innocuously chipped again a catch to Keshav Maharaj for the left-arm spinner’s first wicket of the sequence.
Along the way in which, Smith additionally overtook Michael Clarke to grow to be Australia’s fourth-highest Test run-getter with 8,647 behind Ricky Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh.
Only Ponting (41) and Waugh (32) have scored extra Test centuries for Australia than Smith, who’s second solely to the immortal Bradman (99.94) with a present Test common of 60.89 in his 92nd Test match.
Meanwhile, Khawaja relentlessly gathered on his third consecutive Sydney Test hundred and when rain ended play with 14 overs left he had confronted 368 balls with 19 fours and a six.
Before lunch, Khawaja danced a celebratory jig after clipping Kagiso Rabada for 2 via deep sq. to deliver up one other hundred at his most efficient floor, the place he averaged 98 going into this Test.
It adopted twin centuries in opposition to England in final yr’s corresponding Sydney Test.
“I grew up here just up the road and my family is here watching, I have friends out in the crowd, it’s always an honour to score runs here,” Khawaja mentioned.
“It’s a slow wicket and if we get good weather it will definitely break up and first innings runs will be crucial.”
Only England’s Wally Hammond, Australian Doug Walters and India’s VVS Laxman have scored three consecutive Test centuries on the well-known Sydney Cricket Ground.
Head hit one other typical rumbustious half-century earlier than he was brilliantly caught on the ropes by substitute fielder Rassie van der Dussen off Rabada.
The Australians have already wrapped up the three-match sequence after hammering the Proteas by an innings and 182 runs in Melbourne after their six-wicket rout within the opener in Brisbane inside two days.
So far on this one-sided three-Test sequence, the Australians have amassed 1,303 runs for the loss of 26 wickets – at a median per wicket of 50. South Africa, in distinction, have 644 runs for the loss of 40 wickets at 16.1.
Apart from the pursuit of a sequence whitewash, Australia are attempting to lock in a spot within the ICC World Test Championship last in London in June.
