SCG Test live updates: Australia need 13 South African wickets on day five to complete clean sweep

Well played, his fifth Test 50 and first against Australia.

He went there with 74 balls and has played a huge role here in helping his team try to escape this difficult situation.

South Africa need just 32 runs to avoid tracking.

He passed the slips to the third man first for Maharaj.

Keshav Maharaj is 49 and Simon Harmer is 45 after a session that was unmistakably South Africa, with just one wicket lost.

Would you back South Africa to knock out these runs now, but when they do should they declare straight away rather than just batting for as long as possible? That would force Australia to make some tough decisions in terms of batting tactics, statements and bowling tactics, and would give South Africa their best (read: only) chance to win the match.

Either way, some intrigue should arise, with Australia desperately seeking land and South Africa Finally showing some resistance with the bat.

He and Marnus Labuschagne should surely take a look if there are any turns to be found.

Harmer is defending well, but Smith is at least landing them.

He moves Marnus by the leg to the outside, and Harmer tries to hit one through cover. Maybe trying to get him out of the fielding position, and that’s exactly what he does.

Defend the last ball of the session.

Maharaj goes with a big slap across the line, but straight at long range. However, he could have been in trouble with Agar by catching the half-wicket.

Almost a batpad capture in full view.

And then a sharp turning from the outside to the inside skirted the front pad.

Four! Maharaj slammed him to the ground, but through the air and Lyon had a jump towards a whoop.

Just an easy pick for these two right now.

Three from above.

Big turn from the wide-open rough to start, and Harmer steps back to the leg side. Well ticketed.

SIX! Maharaj sees a short ball and hits it off the side of the leg.

Then the classic halftime overcorrection, with a full pitch from the outside just slapping a boundary runner into deep coverage for a single.

Credit to Steven for calling Agar through the wicket just before he did exactly that.

He gets one to skate on the stumps and Maharaj manages to keep it out with his inside edge. Probably the most threatening ball of his innings.

It comes over the wicket, and Harmer approaches a ball he bowls on the line. Bold, but sure.

There are fifteen minutes left for lunch.

He starts on the outside and Maharaj hits him, then the next ball pinches him with a sharp spin from the outside.

FIVE! We have a five run penalty for hitting the hull! The ball skidded and hit Alex Carey full-on, crashing into the spare helmet behind him.

His selection will be called into question if he can’t at least create some chances today.

Harmer is slapping him with ease right now.

And then leave some wider ones alone.

Four men around the bat. It’s interesting that Renshaw moved to a half-half goofball instead of Head. Maybe trying to preserve his body for important bowling.

FOUR! Maharaj slaps Lyon in the middle. That’s a thoroughbred drive right out of the middle.

And four more on the back foot across the point. This seems easy for South Africans now.

Maharaj tries to pass another one through the cover, but it goes straight for Renshaw. He showed up and the Aussies desperately clamored for someone to “GET HER”. but no one is inside coo-ee.

You are getting a bit of swing in the pads.

Maharaj leans on a ball outside and defends for easy coverage.

Another one and another run scored.

It starts very wide, but does not turn inward.

He drives hard towards Renshaw in half fool. That fielding position is definitely in the game if Lyon throws that wide. The batter still feels that he needs to play because of the risk of him coming out of the rough again.

He has stacked Maharaj’s leg side and starts with a pair of short balls – one defended, one left on the leg only.

Another one went through the side of the leg and Carey can’t clean up so she leaves for the send off. Lucky she got something on it, otherwise she would have gone for four.

Hooked again. Just one, but short things don’t work right now. It’s just sitting right.

Cummins tries to surprise Maharaj with a yorker, but he digs it up.

A little flick away and Maharaj cuts it, but it’s blunt.

A bit of spin from the inside edge of the rough. Harmer defends with leg.

And then from the inside edge of the bat. The short leg had a look but it was directly on the ground.

Lyon Harmer’s drawing getting bigger and bigger.

He comes around the window. But it was in vain.

The spinners are looking down at the spinner pit right now.

Maharaj spikes with his back foot and wants a single, but thinks better of it once he realizes that Marnus Labuschagne is the man with extra coverage.

Oh, Maharaj has tried to get out of the stump, but he has barely managed to avoid cutting it. It wasn’t really wide enough to play a proper coverage unit for that.

Hoff tries a bouncer and Maharaj does well to drive the Matrix away.

He has hit another short on the field. That wasn’t as controlled as his other shots, but it was still safe enough and good enough for two more valuable runs.

Hazlewood throws his head back. He’s not having a good time.

Before the tour of Sri Lanka last year, it is fair to say that Travis Head had not been very successful as a Test bowler.

Indeed, in that time before June 2022, Head had bowled 38 overs without taking a wicket.

However, since then, he has taken 7-78.

Not a bad option to have before a trip to India.

Just two overs for Pat Cummins and he has thrown the ball into the spinner.

Half a cry of LBW is rejected. Aussies meet for DRS discussion but not much good going on there. Probably too high, probably turning down the leg.

Another over negotiated.