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The opening day of the ongoing third and final Test between Australia and South Africa witnessed solely 47 overs of play as rain, and unhealthy lights pressured the officers to name for early stumps. The hosts, who’re aiming for a 3-0 sequence whitewash over the Proteas, had been 147/2 on the finish of the day’s play, with Usman Khawaja unbeaten on 54 and Steve Smith but to face a supply.
Khawaja had shaped a scintillating partnership of 135 runs for the primary wicket with Marnus Labuschagne, however proper earlier than the stumps was introduced, South African pacer Anrich Nortje removed Labuschagne with an absolute peach of a supply.
All of it occurred on the ultimate ball of the forty seventh over when Nortje went for a fiery 146 kmph in need of a size supply, which seemed to be angling into the right-handed batter. Expectedly so, Labuschagne performed for the angle, however the ball deviated on the final second, squaring up the batter and clicking the shoulder fringe of the bat earlier than flying by means of to Proteas wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.
Right here is the video:
The lion-hearted Anrich Nortje strikes once more! 🦁
And he loves it! #PlayOfTheDay#AUSvSA | @nrmainsurance pic.twitter.com/QkOjdyKm6U
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) January 4, 2023
Earlier, Australian captain Pat Cummins gained the toss for a fifth consecutive Take a look at and elected to bat first at Sydney Cricket Floor. Each side picked two strike spinners of their beginning XI, with Ashton Agar and Simon Harmer making their debut look of the sequence.
The Proteas seamers had been disciplined within the morning session, proscribing Australia to a scoring price of below two runs per over. Nonetheless, the introduction of spin fully backfired, as Khawaja and Labuschagne began selecting boundaries to speed up the run movement. The duo added 50 runs for the primary wicket until the lunch break after which took the stand to 135 earlier than Nortje broke the partnership.
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