Australia vs South Africa, 3rd Test: Heavy rain forces third day washout with Cummins mulling over declaration

Persistent
downpours
in
Sydney
mean
Australia
captain
Pat
Cummins
faces
a
dilemma
on
when
to
declare
with
his
side
in
complete
control
at
475-4
with
Usman
Khawaja
(195*)
and
Matthew
Renshaw
(5*)
at
the
crease.

Time
is
running
out
for
Australia
to
complete
a
clean
sweep
of
the
three-game
Test
series,
after
57
overs
were
lost
on
the
opening
two
days
before
Friday’s
complete
washout.

The
Sydney
forecast
is
for
improved
weather
on
the
remaining
two
days,
with
a
shower
or
two
predicted
for
Saturday,
followed
by
partly
cloudy
conditions
without
any
rain
on
Sunday.

There
are
196
overs
remaining
in
the
Test,
meaning
Cummins
will
need
to
be
decisive,
but
likely
will
allow
Khawaja
to
reach
a
maiden
double
hundred.

Australia
will
be
motivated
to
secure
the
victory
clinch
their
first-ever
spot
in
the
ICC
World
Test
Championship
final
to
be
played
in
June.

The
Aussies
are
due
to
travel
to
India
for
a
four-game
Test
series
starting
in
February.

Sydney’s
rain
curse
persists

Sydney’s
poor
run
of
rain
impacting
Tests
in
January
continues,
with
a
total
of
25
days
washed
out
due
to
rain
in
110
Test
matches
at
the
SCG.
Over
the
past
eight
years,
64
per
cent
of
days
during
the
SCG
Tests
have
been
impacted
by
rain.

Elsewhere,
Perth
has
never
had
an
entire
day’s
play
washed
out,
while
Hobart
(one)
and
Adelaide
(two)
have
had
minimal
issues,
while
Brisbane
and
Melbourne
have
lost
eight
and
nine
full
days
respectively.