Nortje was the Proteas’ star man as he eliminated Warner cheaply for 10 and late within the day denied Labuschagne (79) his eleventh Test hundred.
South Africa’s Anrich Nortje (C) celebrates with staff mates after dismissing Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne through the third cricket Test match between Australia and South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in Sydney on 4 January 2023. Picture: DAVID GRAY/AFP
SYDNEY – South Africa strike bowler Anrich Nortje claimed the important thing wickets of David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne on Wednesday to prise Australia’s grip on the third Test in Sydney as rain plagued the opening day.
Nortje was the Proteas’ star man as he eliminated Warner cheaply for 10 and late within the day denied Labuschagne (79) his eleventh Test hundred.
As dangerous gentle and rain conspired to prematurely finish the primary day, Australia have been 147 for 2 with Usman Khawaja, who averages 98 in Sydney Tests, unbeaten on 54 and Steven Smith but to attain.
Nortje received the large breakthrough with a ripper, taking the sting of Labuschagne’s bat to get him caught behind and finish his 151-ball keep.
“I was trying to hit good areas, not trying to be fancy, just trying to keep it simple and try to hit the wicket as hard as I could,” Nortje mentioned of the essential dismissal.
“Luckily I got something out of it. It wasn’t really a big set-up, just more to try and stay consistent and luckily we got some nip and bounce there.”
The pacer earlier struck in his second over of the day when he had Melbourne Test double-centurion Warner caught at slip by Marco Jansen for 10.
No sooner had Smith arrived at the wicket after Labuschagne’s departure that the gamers left the sector for dangerous gentle for the ultimate time.
“Definitely very frustrated. Obviously, it always makes you very angry as a batter when you get out and then everyone walks with you off the field,” Labuschagne mentioned of his dismissal.
“But at the end of the day he bowled a really good set there and that one obviously just kicked.”
It is the sixth bedevilled Sydney Test out of the previous seven to be affected by rain.
‘THOUGHT IT WAS OUT’
There was controversy earlier in Labuschagne’s innings when on 70 he edged Jansen to Simon Harmer at slip.
The on-field umpires referred the choice with a mushy sign of out, just for third umpire Richard Kettleborough to rule that the ball had touched the bottom between the fingers of Harmer.
Nortje mentioned of the choice: “All of us thought it was out. Simon was convinced that it went straight in and from the angles, to us it looked as though he got his fingers underneath it… so unfortunately we didn’t get that one.”
Khawaja additionally survived a assessment straight after lunch on 25 as he reverse-swept Harmer and was given out leg earlier than wicket, however replays confirmed the ball touching the glove.
The opening day was additionally marked by Matt Renshaw, recalled for his first Test for Australia since April 2018, returning a constructive COVID-19 check after the toss was taken and the staff composition confirmed.
But staff officers mentioned he would proceed to play within the match together with his signs solely described as gentle.
Renshaw was transferred to a separate dressing room from his teammates the place he’ll put together for the remainder of the match, and spent most of play sitting away from the staff runners close to the Australian dug-out.
Skipper Pat Cummins gained his fifth successive toss and determined to play an additional spinner with left-armer Ashton Agar, and Renshaw coming in to bolster the batting, squeezing out in-form paceman Scott Boland on a dry cracking Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.
South Africa did likewise, with off-spinner Harmer ousting Lungi Ngidi whereas Heinrich Klaasen changed Theunis de Bruyn at quantity three.
The Australians have already wrapped up the three-match sequence after hammering the Proteas by an innings and 182 runs in Melbourne following a six-wicket rout within the opener in Brisbane inside two days.