Sydney Test: Bad light halts Australia-South Africa match

Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja both made unbeaten half-centuries and South Africa was denied twice by the TV umpire before bad light brought an early tea break on the opening day of the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

At tea on Wednesday, Australia was 138-1 with Labuschagne on 73 and Khawaja on 51, sharing a 126-run partnership after Australia won the toss and batted chasing a sweep of the three-match series.

The session could have been far brighter for South Africa had the television umpire agreed with his on-field colleagues with two close calls going against the tourists. Khawaja survived an lbw appeal from Simon Harmer with the second ball after lunch. The opener was given out by the on-field umpire but Khawaja immediately requested the TV umpire review which showed the ball had hit the batter's glove on the way through to hitting the pad to see the decision overturned.

Labuschagne was even more fortunate when he edged a low catch to Harmer at first slip off Marco Jansen when on 70. Labuschagne stood his ground while South Africa celebrated the wicket. After several minutes of deliberation the TV umpire found that the ball had not carried cleanly through to Harmer and overturned the on-field call to earn Labuschagne a reprieve.

Labuschagne had earlier scored his 14th Test 50 off 10 balls with a thumping pull shot off Kagiso Rabada, his ninth boundary of the innings.

During the session, Khawaja brought up his 4,000th Test run in 56 matches and shortly after completed his half-century off 113 balls as he closes in on another hundred after twin centuries against England in his triumphant return to Test cricket at the SCG last year.

Bad light then forced the players from the field just after the drinks break in the afternoon session. Heavy rain is approaching the venue which is likely to cause further delays for the remainder of the day.

Earlier, Australia lost David Warner to Anrich Nortje in the fourth over but steadied to reach 68-1 at lunch.

Warner (10) took Rabada for two early boundaries but wasn't as clinical against Nortje (1-20) as he slashed at a wide ball from the pace bowler which he top-edged to Marco Jansen at first slip to have Australia at 12-1.

Australia has already won the series after two crushing defeats in the first two Tests at Brisbane and Melbourne. Both Tests brutally exposed South Africa's brittle batting lineup, with the Proteas only managing a top score of 204 across its four innings.

A win for Australia in this third Test would confirm its place in the world Test championship final to be played at Lord's in England in June this year.

Spinner Ashton Agar and batter Matthew Renshaw have replaced Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc, who are both out with finger injuries sustained during the Boxing Day Test.

Scott Boland also makes way for Josh Hazlewood, who returns at his home ground having recovered from a side strain that kept him out for three Tests this summer.

After play commenced, the Australian team management advised that Renshaw had reported feeling unwell shortly before the match and had subsequently returned a positive test for coronavirus but will still take part in the match.

South Africa made two changes from the second Test with Heinrich Klaasen in for Theunis de Bruyn, who is unavailable for “family reasons,” and paceman Lungi Ngidi missing out for offspinner Harmer.