The third Test in Sydney has become more a matter of Australians chasing milestones than one of competitive cricket
Ground that was his original home turf. During last year’s Ashes, what he thought would be a one-off farewell match as a Covid replacement instead resulted in twin hundreds and a permanent recall. He went on to make over a thousand Test runs in 2022, including two centuries in a poignant tour of Pakistan, the country where he was born. This trip back to Sydney took the ride full circle, leaving him eyeing off the first double-century of his long but stop-start career.
For Smith it was a day of milestones. Past Michael Clarke’s tally of 8643 Test runs to move into fourth place for Australians, behind only Steve Waugh, Allan Border and Ricky Ponting. His 30th century drawing him level with Matthew Hayden and behind Waugh and Ponting. In what will probably matter more to him, two centuries in a season, the first time he has managed that since touring England in 2019.
South Africa went from feeling like they were in the game to feeling out of it, and when spinner Keshav Maharaj held a return catch off Smith’s leading edge, it was after having bowled 401 wicketless deliveries across the series. It was met with more of a shrug than a celebration. It’s illustrative of his career compared to Khawaja’s that, having begun around the same time, Smith has made more than twice as many runs. Current Khawaja is a different incarnation, and all through their partnership of 209 he moved inevitably onwards, occasionally edging one of the quick bowlers with soft hands through the cordon, otherwise picking up runs from the pull shot, or challenging spin with the reverse sweep or movement down the pitch.
Once Head hit a catch to deep midwicket, Matthew Renshaw got a couple of overs in the middle after a long hiatus from the side and a long two days watching from the sidelines as an isolated covid case. With rain again ending play early, Renshaw will surely get a little more time tomorrow to bat, and Khawaja to attempt to reach 200. With time left in the match but rain an ongoing likelihood, the home team will then have to gauge how much longer to punish the visiting bowlers.
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