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Fans at the SCG and watching the broadcast were fuming after the opening day of the third Test was ruined by a lengthy delay over bad light.
Former Australian captain Allan Border was also unhappy and said the ICC needed to revamp its rules around bad light stopping play, labelling Wednesday’s decision as soft.
When play was finally called off late in the afternoon, the Aussies were 2-147 after facing only 47 of the allotted 90 overs.
Australia were building nicely at 1-138 when play was called off midway through the second session even after the umpires offered South Africa skipper Dean Elgar the chance to keep playing.
Even though he had earlier operated with Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer in tandem, Elgar rejected the option of continuing play if he bowled his spinners.
Umpires test the light on day one. (Photo by Brett Hemmings – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)
The umpires returned for a 3.45pm resumption but just as the South African fielders and two Australian batters were walking onto the field, they were told to head back to the dressing rooms because the light was not considered good enough.
“The light’s good if the lights are on,” Border said during a Fox Cricket interview on the playing arena at 4pm. “You could play in this light, in my opinion.
“I’ve been arguing this case for 20 odd years of the current light rule is too soft, we come off too easily when it does darken up in the afternoon.
“I just think it’s something that the game needs to look at a lot more closely as to when it does become dangerous, when it does become difficult to see.
“We’re not playing now so it’s easy to sort of make these comments. If you’re facing someone with serious pace you might feel differently during the heat of battle. Right now to me the light is no different to how it has been for hours.”
Marnus Labuschagne of Australia speaks with Kyle Verreynne and Sarel Erwee of South Africa. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Play finally resumed at 4.45pm but only four more overs were bowled before the umpires called a halt to proceedings immediately after Marnus Labuschagne was caughy behind off Anrich Nortje for 79.
Labuschagne had looked on track for his fourth century of the summer but was dismissed by a perfect leg-cutter.
“I was definitely very frustrated,” Labuschagne said. “It always makes you very angry as a batter when you get out and then everyone walks with you off the field.
“It really makes you think about that specific ball was probably under the light meter and you’re getting out.”
Asked if he felt it was too dark when Nortje had bowled the ball, Labuschagne said he had not considered it until his dismissal.
“I was just really focused on the ball … It certainly was dark,” he said. “The umpires need to make sure if they do feel like it is dark, it doesn’t matter if the over is still going or that something happens before we go off.
“But perhaps they thought until I was dismissed (it was OK) and then the light dropped suddenly and it became too dark.”
It already appears likely that weather could present the biggest hurdle for the hosts as they push for guaranteed qualification in the World Test Championship final with a win.
Poor weather has now impacted six of the last seven Tests at the SCG, with further rain forecast later in the week.
Labuschagne looked in impeccable touch, pulling and cutting his way past 50 as part of a 135-run stand with Usman Khawaja (54no).
After being patient in the first session, Labuschagne added 42 in his 53 balls after lunch as he took to Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj.
He had a scare on 70 when he edged a ball off Marco Jansen and was given out on soft signal, before third-umpire Richard Kettleborough deemed the ball had bounced before reaching Simon Harmer.
South Africa were left furious and remonstrated with umpire Chris Gaffaney and Labuschagne, with the latter adamant the ball had bounced.
“All of us thought it was out. Simon was convinced it went straight in,” Nortje said.
“If you look at the angles, to us it looks like fingers are underneath it. Unfortunately we didn’t get that one. I think it would’ve been a big one at that stage. We were convinced it was out.”
Labuschagne added: “If there’s no TV (replays) then I’m walking. But with the amount of slow-motion footage you see of the ball, you see his fingers push and split open.
“According to the technicalities, some of the ball is touching the grass, regardless of if his fingers are under it or not. It’s hard because back in the day or even before we had this technology or camera work, they would just send you packing.”
At the other end, Khawaja became the 27th Australian to pass 4000 Test runs as he continued on his merry way at the SCG.
Now averaging more than 100 at the ground, he pulled the ball nicely and drove neatly through the covers.
Earlier, David Warner was the first Australian to fall when he edged Nortje to first slip on 10 as he chased a wide delivery.
Already up 2-0 in the three-Test series, Australia have had more difficulty off the field with Matt Renshaw testing positive to COVID-19.
Recalled to the Test team on Wednesday morning after four years out, the Queenslander reported feeling unwell before the start of play.
He has since kept his distance from teammates, but at this stage plans to continue in the Test while batting at No.6.
Peter Handscomb has been listed as an emergency fielder for the match, with he and Marcus Harris possible options to replace Renshaw under ICC rules if he is too unwell.
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