A brilliant century from Usman Khawaja has taken Australia through to the final session on 209-3, trailing the Proteas by 50 runs.
It was just the one breakthrough for the tourists in the second session, and it came courtesy of a mistake from Steve Smith and Khawaja, who were rollicking towards taking the game completely away from the South Africans. Looking for a single, Smith was too quick off the mark and Khawaja didn’t respond, leaving the skipper well short by the time the ball found its way back to the stumps to Quinton de Kock.
Hoping that would be the turning point in the match for the Proteas, debutant Peter Handscomb had other ideas and looked assured at the crease, allowing Khawaja to push on and notch up his fifth Test ton.
Smith and Khawaja’s partnership produced 137 runs, but it could, and should, have been ended 32 runs earlier with Smith on 46. JP Duminy was introduced in a desperate attempt to find the breakthrough, only for Hashim Amla to drop a simple chance at slip.
The new ball can’t come soon enough for the bowlers. Vernon Philander has been clocking in at just 125km/h and not providing too much of a threat with the pink ball, while Tabraiz Shamsi hasn’t been getting the turn he perhaps would have liked. A couple of quick wickets after dinner will be the priority as the Aussies close in on the Proteas’ 259-9 declared.
Photo: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images
