On a day headlined by Usman Khawaja’s unbeaten 195 and Steve Smith’s 30th Test hundred that took him past Don Bradman’s tally, Travis Head scored a swashbuckling 59-ball 70 to add to Australia’s thorough domination with the bat on Day 2 on a docile SCG track. South Africa toiled for large parts of the 84 overs they bowled, with just two wickets to show for – one, a gift than a reward for sustained effort and the second, consequence of counterattacking tendencies, as Australia finished the day on 475 for 4.

Under the fading light of the final session, Khawaja was well on his way to a maiden double hundred in Tests. South Africa didn’t have the means to stop him but the Sydney weather came as an intruder, leaving him stranded on an unbeaten 195 as an early end to the day was forced due to rain. It was a day of rekindling his love affair with SCG and a city where he’s spent a lot of growing up years as he scored his third successive Test hundred at the venue – and 13th in all – in the opening session.

Marnus Labuschagne’s dismissal at the end of Day 1 did not give the visitors the sort of impetus they’d have hoped going into the second day as Australia dominated from the get-go. Labuschagne was replaced by Steve Smith, who took some time to get his first run but never looked troubled by the South African bowlers. Once again Anrich Nortje bent his back to create something out of seemingly nothing conditions, but failed as the batting duo comfortably added a 100-run stand in the morning session.

Neither of the two South African spinners could coax something out of the pitch too, as Australia’s third-wicket pair carried on nonchalantly after the Lunch break. It was now Smith’s turn to notch up a milestone, as he got to his 30th Test hundred – going past Don Bradman’s tally and climbing up to joint-third with Matthew Hayden on the list of Australia’s Test centurions. He also climbed up to fourth past Michael Clarke among the most run-getters for Australia in the format. But soon after, against the run of play, Smith hit one Keshav Maharaj delivery back to him to walk back for 104 and offer South Africa a breather.

This dismissal too though didn’t serve as a moment of inflection for South Africa. If anything, it got worse as Travis Head came out and threw his bat around in the final session as rain and bad light loomed over SCG. South Africa, who looked completely flat all day, were further punished by the left-hander as he played shots all over the ground to score a quick-fire half-century. Simon Harmer began to get a little extra turn towards the end of the second session and that encouraged Dean Elgar to use him early in the third but Head treated him disdainfully, as he cut away a short ball and hit a fuller one down the ground.

Attempts from Marco Jansen to bounce out Head didn’t work either, and ended up playing into his hands as he converted the short ones into easy boundaries. He brought up a 46-ball half-century in a period of play where South Africa were leaking boundaries from both ends. Kagiso Rabada, who has been the least impactful for South Africa in this game, also came in Head’s line of fire before going on to end the enterprising knock on 70 off 59.

Head’s dismissal brought Matt Renshaw to the middle, who’d spent the opening day laid low by covid-19 and the second, by himself away from the rest of the Australian players in the dugout. In his first Test innings since April 2018, he got to face just 11 balls before rain arrived and ended the day.

Brief scores:

Australia 475/4 (Usman Khawaja 195*, Steve Smith 104, Marnus Labuschagne 79, Travis Head 70; Anrich Nortje 2-55) vs South Africa

(Cricbuzz)