Aussie batters schooling Proteas in Sydney as 'different player' Khawaja leads charge

There is still a lot of cricket to be played in the third Test between the Proteas and Australia in Sydney, but after two rain-affected days, there is only one side in the contest. 

READ | Maharaj owns up for poor showing in Aussie series

The hosts, having won the toss, are 475/4, with opener Usman Khawaja 195* (368) still batting. 

It has been an exhibition from the Australian top order, with Steve Smith (104 off 192) also carding a superb century while Marnus Labuschagne (79 off 151) and Travis Head (70 off 59) contributed significantly. 

Head, in particular, has been in wonderful touch in this series and this was his third half-century in as many matches against the Proteas. 

With the South African top order struggling and under huge pressure, Australia look to have already batted themselves into a position where they cannot lose this Test match, and spinner Keshav Maharaj was full of praise for the hosts after play on Thursday. 

Speaking specifically to Khawaja, Maharaj said he had seen a noticeable change in the left-hander over the years. 

"Very much so," Maharaj said when asked if Khawaja had evolved. 

"He has gone back and worked really hard from when I played him here in 2016 and then at home in 2018. You can see he has plays all around the wicket and he trusts his defence really well. 

"He knows his scoring opportunities and he has really good hands, so I think he's worked very hard. He's a different player from what he was four years ago against spin."

Head, meanwhile, continues to be a thorn in the South African side given his aggressive approach to batting and how quickly he has taken the game away from the Proteas. 

"He's got a sound game plan and he times the ball really sweetly. He is probably one of the best timers