3rd Test: Weather Halts Play As Australia End Day 1 At 147/2 Vs Proteas

Australia is at 147/2 against the Proteas when play is suspended during the third Test due to weather.

The first day of the third test at Sydney Cricket Ground was prematurely ended by bad lighting and then rain as Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja each scored half century while the unlucky South Africa was twice rejected by the TV umpire.

The first day of the third test at Sydney Cricket Ground was prematurely ended by bad lighting and then rain as Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja each scored half century while the unlucky .

After Australia won the toss and elected to bat, Khawaja and Labuschagne shared a 135-run stand in an effort to complete a whitewash of the three-match series and secure their spot in the World Test.

Final of the championship later this year.

Australia was 147-2 at the time of stumps on Wednesday, with Khawaja scoring 54 unbroken.

Anrich Nortje bowled Labuschagne out for 79 runs with the final delivery of a day that was cut short due to bad weather and lost more than three hours.

If the television umpire had sided with its on-field colleagues after two close rulings went against the visitors in an exciting middle session, the day may have been much better for South Africa. Simon Harmer's LBW appeal was denied by Khawaja with the second ball after lunch. The on-field umpire called for the opener, but Khawaja quickly asked for a TV umpire review, which revealed that the ball had really hit the glove of the batter before striking the pad.

to have the judgement vacated.

When Labuschagne, who was on 70, edged a low catch from Marco Jansen to Harmer at first slip, he was even luckier. While South Africa celebrated the wicket, Labuschagne maintained his position. After considering the situation for a while, the TV umpire decided that the ball had not passed cleanly to Harmer and reversed the on-field decision, giving Labuschagne a reprieve.

Earlier, Labuschagne hit his ninth boundary of the innings off Kagiso Rabada to record his 14th test century off just 10 balls.

Khawaja scored his half-century off 113 balls shortly after reaching his 4,000th test run in 56 matches, and he is closing in on another hundred after twin centuries against England in his previous outing.

The players were then ejected from the field shortly after the afternoon session's beverage break due to poor lighting. The event was subsequently stopped for about three hours due to heavy rain.

Just four more overs were bowled after play had finally begun before it was halted once more due to poor illumination. However, Nortje (2-26) had ample time to remove Labuschagne, leaving Australia at 147-2, with a sharply rising delivery that the batsman could only deflect at and edge to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.

To the dismay of the 31,264 spectators at the SCG, play was then stopped by the umpires owing to failing lighting and rain showers.

Australia earlier lost David Warner to Nortje, who was once again the most dangerous Proteas bowler, in the fourth over but continued to play well to reach 68-1 at lunch.

Warner (10) blasted two early boundaries off of Rabada but struggled against Nortje, slashing at a wide delivery before top-edging it to Marco Jansen at first slip to put Australia up 12-1.

After suffering two devastating losses in the first two tests at Brisbane and Melbourne, Australia has already won the series. South Africa's flimsy batting lineup was severely exposed in both tests, with the Proteas only achieving a top total of 204 over their four innings.

Australia's participation in the World Match Championship final, which will take place at Lord's in England in June of this year, would be assured with a victory in this third test.

Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc, who are both out due to finger injuries acquired during the Boxing Day test, have been replaced by the spinner Ashton Agar and the batter Matthew Renshaw.

Josh Hazlewood, who has recovered from a side strain that prevented him from playing in three tests this summer, replaces Scott Boland as well.

After the game started, Australia team management announced that Renshaw would continue play despite having reported feeling ill just before the game and then returning a positive coronavirus test.