Last Update: January 06, 2023, 14:27 IST
Usman Khawaja said it would be “harsh” if he was not given the chance to claim his maiden Test double century by a declaration in Australia’s third Test against South Africa.
Rain washed out play on the third day of the final Test of a one-sided series in favor of the hosts in Sydney on Friday.
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Australia captain Pat Cummins now has a decision to make ahead of the fourth day on Saturday: whether to declare the team’s first innings at 475-4 and bring the Proteas in to bat or give Khawaja a chance to score a double century.
Khawaja is stranded on 195. Matt Renshaw, who had tested positive for Covid at the start of the match, finished unbeaten on five.
“I think if he (Cummins) bowls straight it will be very harsh. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Khawaja told reporters after another disappointing day in a rain-affected match in Sydney. Cricket floor.
“He’s making a few jokes… (saying) ‘I’ve told (South African captain) Dean Elgar we want to go out and bowl straight’.
“We can go out there and score a few more runs really quickly or we can declare too much straight away. I’m not the captain… I don’t make decisions like that.”
Another deciding factor for Cummins will be the condition of the SCG pitch after three days of rain interruption.
Persistent rain and wicket cover prevented the pitch from drying out and wear and tear, to the benefit of Australia’s two chosen spinners, Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar.
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Australia have gone into the match with only two selected front-line pacers – Josh Hazlewood and Cummins – and their task will be made more difficult if the pitch is not as spin-friendly as the hosts had hoped.
Australia are bracing for a series whitewash to seal a spot World Test Championship final in London in June.
“Time is the enemy. A result is very unlikely, let’s be honest, but it is still possible,” Khawaja said.
South Africa are naturally not worried about the weather as they try to avoid the infamy of a 3-0 defeat.
Conditions are forecast to improve on Saturday with less rain expected, before sunny conditions on the final day of Sunday.
Australia lead the series 2-0 after a six-wicket defeat in the opening Test inside two days in Brisbane and then beat the Proteas by an innings and 182 runs in Melbourne.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)