We would’ve loved to see Usman Khawaja nail down his double ton at the Sydney Cricket Ground where he was just short of five runs (195 not out) – but having missed out a whole Day 3 and the first few hours of Day 4’s play due to rain – skipper Pat Cummins had no choice but to move on with a declaration of 475-4 for the Aussies not long before play was finally allowed by the umpires back on the field.
It was a great start by the Aussies who got rid of the Proteas’ Top 3 batters early with the ball. Although the likes of Temba Bavuma & Khaya Zondo held them back for a while, but two of the fast bowling cartel in Josh Hazlewood & Cummins found a way to dismiss these two batters; Bavuma was caught behind by Alex Carey for 35, while Cummins trapped Zondo with an LBW for 39 before the skipper got his 3rd scalp courtesy of a Steve Smith catch on keeper Kyle Verreynne at slip for 19.
Now the Aussies haven’t finished the Proteas 1st innings batting spell just yet on 149-6 right now going into the fifth & final day tomorrow, when the towering Marco Jansen is hanging in there as tough as nails so far on 10* off 33 for the Proteas alongside spinner Simon Harmer who is currently on 6* off 18 at No.8.
Australia is doing everything possible though to get the job done ASAP & make the Proteas bat again via the follow-on – even though the chances of winning this final Test are getting slimmer with a draw being most likely due to rain. But having regained the series v SA back home already last week at the MCG, they are still set for a 2-0 clean sweep before the Australian Test Summer is done for the 2022/23 edition.
