Aussies build healthy first innings lead

Australia's Usman Khawaja raises his bat as he walks off after he lost his wicket to South Africa lbw for 145. Photo by: Rick Rycroft

Australia's Usman Khawaja raises his bat as he walks off after he lost his wicket to South Africa lbw for 145. Photo by: Rick Rycroft

Published Nov 26, 2016

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South Africa 259/9 declared (Du Plessis 118*)

Australia 383 all out (Khawaja 145, Abbott 3/49 )

South Africa’s bowlers toiled in the Adelaide afternoon sun with Australia’s tail wagging vociferously to push the home side’s lead up to 124 runs at tea interval on day three.

Centurion Usman Khawaja was the first to depart on Saturday, adding only a further sevens runs to his overnight 138 before Vernon Philander wrapped the stylish left-hander on the pads. Khawaja reviewed the decision more out of hope than anything else, and had actually left the field before television umpire Aleem Dar had finished viewing the footage.

It brought an end to a potentially game-changing knock from Khawaja.

The loss of Khawaja did not stop the Aussies’ momentum though with Mitchell Starc taking over the role of senior batsman. The lanky opening bowler played showed a great deal of positivity at the crease as he was not afraid to take on both medium-pace of Philander and Tabraiz Shamsi’s leg-spin.

The undoubted shot of the day was when Starc pulled Philander off the front foot into the lower level of the Max Basheer stand for six. He continued his aggression against Shamsi with a couple of straight drives down the ground.

Starc’s cameo was eventually ended when he tamely chipped a full delivery straight back to Kagiso Rabada who claimed a comfortable catch in his follow-through. The damage had already been done though with Starc bringing up his half-century and taking the lead past 100.

Shamsi finally tasted the first success of his Test career when Nathan Lyon failed to execute his attempted sweep shot, before Rabada closed off the innings by removing last man Jackson Bird on the stroke of tea time.

Independent Media

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