Usman Khawaja 200 DENIED: Aussie opener Usman Khawaja sure wasn’t a happy man after Pat Cummins declared Australia 1st innings on Day 4 of AUS vs SA 3rd Test. Khawaja and Matthew Renshaw were stuck on 195* and 5*, respectively when Pat Cummins declared with Hosts at 4-475. The opener who missed the landmark Double TON had earlier expressed his feelings before the captain regarding the declaration. But Cummins paid no heed to the words of his teammate. Follow Australia vs SouthAfrica 3rd Test LIVE with InsideSport.IN
“I think it’d be pretty harsh if he (Cummins) bowled straight away. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Khawaja told reporters after another frustrating Day 3 in the rain-hit match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
“He’s been making a few jokes… (saying) ‘I’ve let (South African skipper) Dean Elgar know that we want to go out and have a bowl straight away’.
“We could go out there and get a few more runs really quickly or we could declare pretty much straight away. I’m not the captain… I don’t make those decisions,” said the batter.
The Ussie dance celebration is the best! Third 100 in a row for Usman Khawaja at the SCG. Love to see it! #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/xghP6UIPLt
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) January 5, 2023
Usman Khawaja 200 DENIED: Pat Cummins ’Unnecessary Declaration’ denies double hundred for Khawaja, Aussie opener says ‘Very HARSH’: Follow AUS vs SA LIVE
Action resumes in Sydney 🏏
Australia have declared at 475/4. Can they put the visitors under pressure on day four?
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— ICC (@ICC) January 7, 2023
The SCG pitch’s condition after three days of weather delays was one of the deciding factors for Cummins as he announced the declaration.
For the benefit of Australia’s two chosen spinners, Nathan Lyon and Ashton Agar, the pitch has not dried out or deteriorated due to the constant rain and covering of the ground.
Only Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins were chosen as Australia’s front-line pacemen going into the game, which will make their task much more challenging if the field is not as favourable to spin as the hosts had hoped.
In order to guarantee a spot in the World Test Championship final in London in June, Australia is aiming for a series sweep.
