Usman Khawaja found the scenario to be especially irritating since he was still in the game with 195 runs when play on day two was abruptly stopped due to rain. Khawaja missed out on recording his first double century because Cummins was forced to declare and send South Africa in to bat after the third day was a full washout and Saturday’s morning session was also cancelled.
Australia’s only chance of winning now that they have scored 475 runs over the first two days is to put South Africa in to bat and try to bowl them out twice in only five sessions. Khawaja was only five runs shy of 200, which made things challenging for Cummins.
Earlier Usman Khawaja said it would have been ‘harsh’ if Cummins declared and left him on 195 not out. “I think it’d be pretty harsh if he bowled straight away. I don’t think that’s going to happen,”
Ricky Ponting, a former Test captain, stated on Channel 7 that he didn’t believe Pat Cummins would declare. Damien Fleming agreed with Justin Langer’s remarks that the team should come before individual honours and that the announcement should be made right immediately.
According to Justin Sammons, the Proteas’ batting coach, they want to start batting almost immediately on Saturday.
“If Usman Khawaja wasn’t on 190-odd, then I would say they will declare straight away,” he said on Friday.
“I suspect they might let him go out there and get that double, and then declare. If they do bat, it will be until that point where he gets that double and call it. But they could say team first, and call it straight away,” Ricky Ponting said during commentry.
Regrading the matter, Kerry O’Keeffe said: “If Khawaja wasn’t on 190-odd, then I would say they will declare straight away.”
“I suspect they might let him go out there and get that double, and then declare. If they do bat, it will be until that point where he gets that double and call it. But they could say team first, and call it straight away.”If Khawaja wasn’t on 190-odd, then I would say they will declare straight away,” he said on Friday.