Aus vs SA: 'Declaration will be harsh', says Usman Khawaja who is just five short of his double ton

Khawaja is stranded on 195. Matt Renshaw, who tested positive for Covid at the start of the match, is five not out.

Usman Khawaja said it would be “harsh” if he was denied the chance of claiming his first Test double century by a declaration in Australia’s third Test against South Africa. The entire third day’s play was washed out by rain in Sydney on Friday in the final Test of what has been a one-sided series in favour of the hosts. Australia skipper Pat Cummins now has a decision to make ahead of Saturday’s fourth day: whether to declare the team’s first-innings at 475-4 and get the Proteas in to bat or give Khawaja the chance to bring up a landmark double century. Khawaja is stranded on 195. Matt Renshaw, who tested positive for Covid at the start of the match, is five not out. 

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“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. “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 batsman.

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