Labuschagne, Khawaja put Aussies in control against Proteas on day one

It was a frustrating opening day for players and fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday, with Australia once more firmly in control against South Africa in the third Test, thanks to half-centuries for Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja. 

Australia finished on 147/2 and it wasn’t only the weather that proved irritating with bad light, rain and then more bad light forcing the players off the field halfway through the day.

The Proteas, forced to field after Pat Cummins won the toss, had plenty of reason to feel aggrieved at television umpire Richard Kettleborough. His decision not to uphold a decision for a catch by Simon Harmer at slip should have seen Labuschagne back in the pavilion shortly before bad light halted play. 

Labuschagne on 70, drove at full delivery from Marco Jansen, edging the ball low to the sole slip, Harmer, who appeared to get his fingers under the ball before it hit the SCG turf. On-field umpire Paul Reiffel indicated with a “soft signal” he felt the ball was caught. 

Kettleborough took a number of looks at replays and from the side-on camera angle and judged the ball hit the ground before Harmer caught it.

“Got the ball on the floor there,” he said.

Cue hands on hips, pursed lips and shakes of the heads as the South Africans displayed their understandable disappointment with the television official’s judgment. 

The incident followed a dominant passage of play from the home side, who had lost David Warner in the fourth over, thanks to a sharp slip catch by Jansen, after the opener had slashed at an Anrich Nortje delivery that was angling across him. 

South Africa made two changes to the side that lost the series at the MCG, with Heinrich Klaasen replacing Theunis de Bruyn, who returned home to attend his daughter’s birth, while Harmer was picked in place of Lungi Ngidi because the pitch looked like it would aid spin. 

Australia also made changes. Matt Renshaw, who has Covid-19 and was kept separate from the rest of the players, was called in for Cameron Green, Ashton Agar replaced Scott Boland while Josh Hazlewood filled in for the injured Mitchell Starc.

Warner’s wicket in the opening session provided the Proteas with control, with Nortje, again the standout performer, while Marco Jansen displayed consistency but Kagiso Rabada lacked venom. Harmer bowled just five overs, had one decision overturned on review for lbw against Khawaja, and would have been miffed he didn’t bowl more. 

Labuschagne and Khawaja were more aggressive after the lunch interval, scoring 70 runs in 15 overs. Labuschagne drove superbly on his way to a 14th half-century, while Khawaja, having been tied down by deliveries targeting his body, expertly located his favourite offside areas, playing a delicious cut for four off Rabada to bring up his half-century. 

Then came a two-and-half-hour delay that started with bad light which turned into rain, and was then lengthened by more bad light.

Twenty minutes of play was possible in which Labuschagne lost his wicket to a beauty from Nortje that straightened off the pitch at 145km/h and bounced enough to clip the shoulder of the bat, giving Kyle Verreynne an easy catch.

Having made 79, Labuschgane trudged off the SCG, and his mood would not have been helped by the umpires then immediately deciding the light was again too bad for play to continue.

The forecast for the next few days in Sydney doesn’t bode well for much play but should it resume on time on Thursday, Khawaja will be on 54 while Steve Smith is still to face a ball.