SYDNEY: South African strike bowler Anrich Nortje claimed the key wickets of David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne on Wednesday to prise Australia’s grip on the third Test in Sydney as rain plagued the opening day.

Nortje was the Proteas’ star man as he removed Warner cheaply for 10 and late in the day denied Labus­chagne (79) his 11th Test hundred.

As bad light and rain conspired to prematurely end the first day, Australia were 147 for two with Usman Khawaja unbeaten on 54 and Steven Smith yet to score.

Nortje got the big breakthrough with a ripper, taking the edge of Labuschagne’s bat to get him caught behind and end his 151-ball stay.

The pacer earlier struck in his second over of the day when he had Warner caught at slip by Marco Jansen for 10.

No sooner had Smith arrived at the wicket after Labuschagne’s departure that the players left the field for bad light for the final time.

It is the sixth Sydney Test out of the past seven to be affected by rain.

There was controversy earlier in Labuschagne’s innings when on 70 he edged Jansen to Simon Harmer at slip.

The on-field umpires referred the decision with a soft signal of out, only for third umpire Richard Kettleborough to rule that the ball had touched the ground between the fingers of Harmer.

Khawaja also survived a review after lunch on 25 as he reverse-swept Harmer and was given out lbw, but rep­l­ays showed ball touching glove.

The opening day was also marked by Matt Renshaw returning a positive Covid test after toss was taken and the team composition confirmed.

But team officials said he would continue to play in the match with his symptoms only described as mild.

Renshaw was transferred to a separate dressing room from his teammates where he will prepare for the rest of the match.

Skipper Pat Cummins won his fifth successive toss and decided to play an extra spinner with left-armer Ashton Agar, and Renshaw coming in to bolster the batting, squeezing out in-form paceman Scott Boland on a dry cracking Sydney Cricket Ground pitch.

South Africa did likewise, with off-spinner Harmer ousting Lungi Ngidi while Heinrich Klaasen replaced Theunis de Bruyn at number three.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA (1st Innings):

U. Khawaja not out 54

D. Warner c Jansen b Nortje 10

M. Labuschagne c Verreynne b Nortje 79

S. Smith not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, NB-1, W-1) 4

TOTAL (for two wickets, 47 overs) 147

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-12 (Warner), 2-147 (Labuschagne)

STILL TO BAT: T. Head, M. Renshaw, A. Carey, A. Agar, P. Cummins, N. Lyon, J.Hazlewood

BOWLING: Rabada 12-1-45-0 (1nb), Nortje 11-3-26-2, Jansen 10-2-23-0 (1w), Maharaj 9-0-35-0, Harmer 5-1-16-0

UMPIRES: Chris Gaffaney, Paul Reiffel

TV UMPIRE: Richard Kettleborough

MATCH REFEREE: Richie Richardson.

Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2023