Usman’s the man

Usman Khawaja celebrates his century against South Africa yesterday. Pic/AFP

An imperious Usman Khawaja was on the verge of a double century when rain interrupted Australia's run plunder against South Africa in the third Test on Thursday in Sydney.

In another dominant day for the hosts, Khawaja peeled off an unbeaten 195 for his highest Test score, while Steven Smith passed a Don Bradman landmark with his 30th hundred.

At the rain-enforced close on Day Two, Australia were 475-4 with Matt Renshaw - who tested positive for COVID at the start of the match - five not out. Australia are 2-0 up in the series and chasing a clean sweep.

Steven Smith during his 104

Khawaja and Smith shared in a 209-run stand and Travis Head rammed home the initiative with a blistering 59-ball 70 to leave the visitors yet again facing an uphill task. The red-hot Khawaja surpassed his previous highest score of 174, made against New Zealand in Brisbane in 2015.

Smith more than played his part, passing Bradman's 29 Test tons with a majestic pullshot off Anrich Nortje to the boundary ropes to claim a hometown hundred off 190 balls. He was out two balls later for 104 when he innocuously chipped back a catch to Keshav Maharaj for the left-arm spinner's first wicket of the series. Along the way Smith also overtook Michael Clarke to become Australia's fourth-highest Test run-getter with 8,647, behind Ricky Ponting, Allan Border and Steve Waugh.

Only Ponting (41) and Waugh (32) have scored more Test centuries for Australia than Smith, who is second only to the immortal Bradman (99.94) with a current Test average of 60.89 in his 92nd Test match. "I don't think about that stuff a great deal, but I did look up at the scoreboard just after I got 100...and there are some pretty big names there, so that's pretty cool," Smith said.

"I think it is starting to get a little bit more rough. That's certainly a positive sign for us. The rougher and more abrasive that surface gets, the more you'll probably see reverse swing come into play as well."

Also Read: Australia vs South Africa: Anrich Nortje strikes twice to restrict Oz to 147-2

Brief scores
Australia 475-4 (U Khawaja 195', S Smith 104, M Labuschagne 79, T Head 70; A Nortje 2-55) v South Africa

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