Australia wanted a 14-wicket ultimate day to defy Sydney’s poor climate and declare a 3-Zero sequence sweep of South Africa after Pat Cummins breathed life again into the rain-soaked Check on day 4.
South Africa went to stumps of their first innings at 6-149 and needing 127 extra runs to keep away from the follow-on, after Australia declared at 4-475 with Usman Khawaja unbeaten on 195.
It got here after the primary half of the day was washed away by rain and leaky covers, including to the lack of all day three and one other 57 overs throughout the opening two days.
Australia should win the match to wrap up a spot in June’s World Check Championship ultimate, taking qualification out of the equation earlier than subsequent month’s four-Check tour of India.
The primary job shall be to dismiss South Africa for 275 or much less of their first innings, permitting the hosts to implement the follow-on and push for the win.
Australia’s bowlers have given them each likelihood of doing so.
Cummins claimed 3-29 on Saturday, as he bowled with fury in fading gentle late after he earlier had Heinrich Klaasen caught behind earlier than tea.
Cummins’ masterclass
The fast arrange Khaya Zondo when he bounced him from across the wicket late within the day, earlier than he adopted up with a yorker and trapped him lbw for 39.
The in-form Kyle Verreynne additionally fell to Australia’s captain on 19, edging Cummins to slide after him and Zondo had led a short fightback for the Proteas with free-flowing strokeplay.
However with Verreynne’s exit, the tail is uncovered to start out the ultimate day.
Hazlewood additionally bagged two wickets in Australia’s cost, as he prolonged South Africa captain Dean Elgar’s woes with a well-placed bouncer that caught the opener’s glove on 15.
Temba Bavuma was Hazlewood’s different sufferer, caught behind when he hung his bat outdoors off stump to a seaming supply and supplied his outdoors edge.
Nathan Lyon additionally out-smarted Sarel Erwee to assert the opener’s wicket earlier within the day, with a ball that went straight on and brushed the leaving left-hander’s off stump.
Australia’s one second of disappointment got here when third umpire Richard Kettleborough deemed the ball had brushed the bottom as Steve Smith claimed a superb catch at slip with Elgar on six.
The incident got here after an analogous enchantment was turned down in Australia’s innings on day one when Simon Harmer believed he caught Marnus Labuschagne on his method to 79.
-AAP
