Rain has delayed the fourth Ashes Test once again with the start of day three on hold due to persistent showers at the SCG.
England will eventually resume at 0-13 in their first innings in reply to Australia’s 8-416d, with Haseeb Hameed (2*) and Zak Crawley (2*) at the crease.
The big covers were eventually pulled back shortly after 11.15 to cheers from ther SCG crowd prompting hope of play this morning.
Sydney’s weather forecast for Friday is a gloomy one, with a 90 per cent chance of rain with a chance of a thunderstorm.
Catch every moment of The Ashes live and ad-break free during play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-days free now.
MATCH CENTRE: Australia vs England, fourth Test day three, live scoreboard
HOW KHAWAJA’S SYDNEY HEROICS LEFT AUSSIE SELECTORS WITH AWKWARD DILEMMA THEY NEVER WANTED
Before play, Shane Warne weighed in on the selection conundrum facing Australia after Usman Khawaja scored a century on his return to the Test team.
He said that despite Khawaja’s heroics, he would drop the 35-year-old to make way for Travis Head in Hobart, and retain Marcus Harris.
“For me, I think Australia has invested in Harris. He got an unbelievable 70 in Melbourne conditions that were so hard, so difficult,” Warne said on Fox Cricket. “I think Travis Head has to come in at No.5 and the debate is Harris or Khawaja.
“I think they’ve invested in Harris, he’s 30 years of age, I think he probably gets another game and unfortunately Khawaja misses out, that’s probably the reality.”
NEW PODCAST – ‘A contest would be nice’: Ultimate SCG Test preview OR SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES OR SPOTIFY
Asked about the possibility of dropping 22-year-old Cameron Green, who has been struggling with the bat, Warne backed the all-rounder for the long-term, albeit with a warning.
“I think there has to be a time we say he needs to make some runs too,” Warne said.
“But I’d be very reluctant to do that because the bowling looks great, Green looks great and I would like them to back him in and say, ’we know he’s going to come good’
“Stick with him, that’s what I’d be doing.”
Broad’s brutal truth bomb for teammates
On Thursday, Stuart Broad was the lone highlight for England on day two with figures of 5-101 and he dropped a truth bomb on his struggling batters ahead of a monumental day three at the SCG.
“It doesn’t matter what bowlers you play if you’re getting bowled out for 140,” Broad told Code Sport post play on day two.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan told foxsports.com.au before play on day three that Broad was “absolutely right” in making his comment.
“It‘s absolutely right. You can win Test matches being blown away for 147, 185, 68 … you just can’t possibly complete,” he said.
“I don‘t mind that because it’s the truth. If he came out and bottled over what’s been happening, the truth is England haven’t batted well enough, they haven’t bowled well enough, they haven’t caught well enough, they haven’t selected well enough, everything’s been wrong so far on the tour so there’s no point hiding behind the fact you can’t compete unless you score runs.
“There are teams in the world if you get bowled out 185 there’s a chance you might be able to get back into the equation because the opposition aren’t quite that good, but against a team like Australia you’re just never going to get back into the equation.”
Meanwhile, Warne said England need more players with his competitive fire to be successful in Test cricket.
“He has got that competitiveness,” Warne said.
“He really wants to do well and everyone does, but he really has that extra fire. He had that come on, bring it on mentality.
“He had the Daniel son karate headband.”
MORE CRICKET NEWS
TALKING POINTS: England regret exposed by shining star; Aussie gun’s kryptonite
DAY 1 WRAP: Rain saves Aussies from ‘nasty’ Ashes moment as fightback derailed
‘THINKS HE RUNS THE GAME’: Smith power play slammed as cricket’s ‘ridiculous’ problem exposed
SELECTION: Australia’s long-lost all-rounder has been exposed. Another could be right under our noses
‘CAN’T DO THAT’: England slammed over bizarre tactics as Ashes ‘mauling’ reveals ‘deep wounds’
“It was that “bring it on” that England desperately needed in Brisbane but it is a bit late,” Vaughan added.
Attention now turns to England’s young opening pair and whether they can show support to the tourists’ two best batsmen in the series in Dawid Malan and Joe Root.
Vaughan didn’t sugar-coat the size of the challenge facing Hameed and Crawley on the third morning in Sydney.
“It’s huge and two young players in Hameed and Crawley they won’t get it any tougher,” Vaughan said.
“We saw that in Melbourne and we just saw it for 20 minutes at the SCG on day two.
“It doesn’t get any harder than to face that attack with Starc and Cummins steaming in baying for your blood and they managed to survive.
Get all the latest cricket news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!
“So a box ticked that they didn’t do in Melbourne, but it is not going to be easy.”
Vaughan believes the pitch will play a part as the game progresses, but implored England’s batsmen to have a positive mindset and look at the situation as an opportunity.
“They heavy roller will play a part for 20 or 30 minutes, but we have seen indentations,” Vaughan said.
“There is not as much grass on the wicket as we saw at the MCG.
“But when you take guard on this wicket I think you see a lot of trouble. It’s a negative frame of mind and that is the England batting line-up at the minute.
“I think the Aussies just see an opportunity and it is can England see an opportunity? If they can do that they can get some runs, but it will not be easy against this attack on this kind of surface.”
Warne believes England’s opening batsmen can do wonders for the rest of the order if they can get through the first hour on day two.
Watch every game of the KFC Big Bash League Live & On-Demand on Kayo or catch up for FREE with minis on Kayo Freebies. Join Kayo Now >
“The first hour is the key with that hard Kookuburra ball,” Warne said.
“We saw as the day went on the ball got softer and the bowlers got a bit more tired. But when the ball is hard and the bowlers are fresh there is something happening nearly every ball.
“That first hour will be extremely difficult. You get through that then you might be able to make some runs.”
However Vaughan warned England’s batsman that Australia’s attack doesn’t have a weakness with Cameron Green and particularly Nathan Lyon providing no let-up if and when the quicks tire.
“The problem England have is that why Australia have got such a good attack is because they have Nathan Lyon,” Vaughan said.
“So Even if you do play well against the seamers then you have to face a world class spinner.
“England just don’t have that world class spinner.
“They have Broad, Anderson and Wood, but Jack Leach has just not managed to trouble any of the Australian batters.
“Nathan Lyon could be a huge threat because there is a big pothole outside the off-stump.”
Day 2 commences at 10am AEDT on Friday at the SCG.
WEATHER
Friday: 29, 60% chance of rain (0 to 2mm)
Saturday: 30, 90% chance of rain (8 to 20mm)
Sunday: 26, 70% chance of rain (1 to 5mm)
TEAMS
Australia XI: Marcus Harris, David Warner, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland
England XI: Haseeb Hameed, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joseph Root (c), Ben Stokes, Jonathan Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wk), Mark Wood, Jack Leach, Stuart Broad, James Anderson
FOLLOW THE ACTION IN OUR LIVE BLOG BELOW. CAN’T SEE IT? CLICK HERE.