Khawaja on cusp of twofold ton as Australia rebuff S Africa

An imperious Usman Khawaja was very nearly a twofold century when downpour interfered with Australia’s run loot against South Africa in the third Test on Thursday in Sydney.

In one more predominant day for the hosts, Khawaja stripped off an unbeaten 195 for his most noteworthy Grade while Steven Smith passed a Wear Bradman milestone with his 30th hundred.

At the downpour upheld close on day two, Australia were 475-4 with Matt Renshaw – – who tried positive for Coronavirus toward the beginning of the match – – five not out.

Australia are 2-0 up in the series and pursuing a decisive victory.

Khawaja and Smith partook in a 209-run stand and Travis Head smashed home the drive with a rankling 59-ball 70 to leave the guests once more confronting a difficult undertaking.

The scorching Khawaja outperformed his past most noteworthy score of 174, made against New Zealand in Brisbane in 2015.

Smith more than had his influence, finishing Bradman’s 29 Assessment tons with a great pullshot off Anrich Nortje to the limit ropes to guarantee an old neighborhood hundred off 190 balls.

He was out two balls later for 104 when he harmlessly chipped back a catch to Keshav Maharaj for the left-arm spinner’s most memorable wicket of the series.

En route Smith additionally surpassed Michael Clarke to turn into Australia’s fourth-most elevated Trial getter with 8,647, behind Ricky Ponting, Allan Line and Steve Waugh.

Just Ponting (41) and Waugh (32) have scored more Test hundreds of years for Australia than Smith, who is second just to the undying Bradman (99.94) with an ongoing Test normal of 60.89 in his 92nd Test match.

“I don’t contemplate that stuff an extraordinary arrangement yet I gazed toward the scoreboard soon after I got 100… what’s more, there are a few quite large names there, so that is cool,” Smith said.

“I think there is beginning to get somewhat more harsh. That is surely certain finishes paperwork for us. The harsher and more rough that surface gets, the more you’ll presumably see switch swing become possibly the most important factor also.”