AUS vs SA: South Africa pissed off as Australia 138-1 in rain-hit third Test

Australia have been 138 for one when dangerous mild halted play earlier than rain introduced tea early on day one of many third take a look at in opposition to South Africa in Sydney on Wednesday.

Opener Usman Khawaja was 51 not out and Marnus Labuschagne was on 73 on the Sydney Cricket Ground after house captain Pat Cummins gained the toss and elected to bat.

The match is a useless rubber after Australia sealed the collection with wins in Melbourne and Brisbane, however Cummins’s aspect can e-book their place within the World Test Championship remaining with one other victory in Sydney.

The second session was reduce off on the drinks break as darkish clouds gathered, with South Africa left fuming after the third umpire reprieved Labuschagne on 70 when he edged Marco Jansen to the slips. The Proteas celebrated as Simon Harmer claimed a catch on the bottom and umpire Paul Reiffel gave a “soft signal” that Labuschagne was out.

BAD LIGHT STOPS PLAY

The umpires have introduced out the sunshine metre and have decided that the sunshine shouldn’t be ok at current

🇦🇺 Australia 138/1 after 43 overs

🗒 Ball by ball https://t.co/KNz7vLG39F
📺 SuperSport Grandstand 201#AUSvSA #BePartOfIt

— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) January 4, 2023

However, after minutes poring over completely different digital camera angles, third umpire Richard Kettleborough froze the imaginative and prescient on one body and declared the ball had hit the bottom. South Africa captain Dean Elgar remonstrated with Reiffel in regards to the choice however Labuschagne and Khawaja noticed out the session, having prolonged their partnership to 126 runs.

Australia had resumed on 68 for one after lunch and attacked South Africa’s spinners with gusto. Labuschagne smashed Keshav Maharaj across the floor and raced previous his fifty. He had racked up 13 fours by the top of the abridged second session.

Cummins earlier accomplished an ideal house summer season with the toss, calling it accurately in 5 out of 5 checks and placing his much-changed group in to bat on a pitch that provided flip for on the finish of the primary session. Express paceman Anrich Nortje was gifted the one wicket of the day when David Warner, who scored 200 within the second take a look at in Melbourne, made an ill-judged reduce at a fuller supply to nick to Jansen within the slips and be out for 10.

Both groups sprung choice surprises, with Australia selecting Matt Renshaw as a center order batsman and going with solely two quick bowlers. Paceman Josh Hazlewood, recalled after recovering from a aspect pressure, changed the dropped Scott Boland, whereas left-arm spinner Ashton Agar was picked for his first take a look at since 2017.

Renshaw, again within the aspect for the primary time in practically 5 years, examined optimistic for COVID-19 earlier than play began however will play out the take a look at, the Australia group confirmed.

South Africa picked wicketkeeper-batsman Heinrich Klaasen to exchange Theunis de Bruyn at quantity three, overlooking Rassie van der Dussen.

The vacationers additionally picked a second spinner in Simon Harmer to companion Keshav Maharaj, whereas dropping third seamer Lungi Ngidi.