After one of the toughest days in Test cricket, the third matchday of Boxing Day was rained out, but it was almost impossible for South Africa, who are eyeing a possible innings defeat to seal a series defeat. There was no recovery. Burying the visitors under the pile of runs that day was Alex Carey, who scored his first Test match century as Australia announced with a lead of 386 runs in the first innings. South Africa then lost captain Dean Elgar with a duck in seven overs of potential play before chills hit the MCG.
The game’s launch date promised a lot to bemused visitors. A light drizzle seemed to refresh both the pitch and South Africa’s bad mood, at least temporarily. Anrich Nortje chased one through half-century Travis Head defense and knocked him down early. Double Centurion’s David Warner received a standing ovation after retiring last night with a convulsive injury.When Norce delivered him a short, low-fly throw that hit the base of a stump through his pads, he scored another I returned the ball to the pavilion for applause.
The visitors looked to wrap up Australia’s first innings rather quickly when Kagiso Rabada passed Pat Cummins in the review. Not so, as the pitch remained good for batting and the pair of Carey and Nathan Lyon had little trouble penetrating the line of the ball. Lyon stunned the MCG crowd by drawing Rabada by 4 and then 6 in the next over. His 17-ball stay saw Australia score 25 runs, with Lungi Ngidi eventually taming the off-spinner to square leg with a short ball.
Australia sent in another injured retired batsman and Cameron Green proved to be an ideal foil for Carey despite a broken finger. The goalkeeper’s driving was impeccable and Ngidi’s four hat-tricks saw him go half-century on his 66 balls. By lunchtime Australia had added 93 runs in the session with the lead nearing his 300.
Elgar started his post-lunch hour by bowling spinner Keshav Maharaj from one end. Meanwhile, the sailors tried their luck in turn from the other end, starting at Kagiso Labada. Carry accessed the area squares on both wickets. Maharaj was swept backwards while short balls were pulled by quicks and sometimes accidentally sliced.
Ultimately, it was a push drive with three additional coverages that brought Carey to his first Test Century.He rode his Marsh, followed by Boxing on his day in his Test where he scored 100 points. became his second Australian goalkeeper to do so. He was eventually dismissed for 111 after attempting a half-hearted slow move and then throwing the ball back to Marco Jansen for an easy return catch. Yet another reason why the MCG crowd applauded early on as Green fought his way to the half-century 170-ball despite being ruled out of the next Test after breaking a finger yesterday. had. No. 10 Mitchell Starc drew 6 from Anrich Nortje and carried another short ball to his helmet. As a result, play was temporarily suspended for a mandatory concussion test, and captain Pat Cummins declared the inning over long enough to allow Duck to leave South Africa in hopes of a miracle. strangled the side of the opponent’s leg for. Save his checks to save them.
Brief Scores:South Africa 189 & 15/1 (Pat Cummins 1-0) trail Australia 575/8 decl. (David Warner 200, Alex Carey 111; Anrich Nortje 3-92) by 371 runs.