Aussies fume over controversial Khawaja dismissal
Usman Khawaja and Joe Burns both questioned the umpire after the No.3 was dismissed in controversial circumstances on day four in Johannesburg.
Khawaja was given out lbw by umpire Nigel Llong late on day four despite the ball hitting him well outside the line of off stump.
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Llong deemed that Khawaja hadn't played a shot to the ball that ripped out of the rough, meaning the fact that he was hit outside the line was irrelevant.
However the No.3 was adamant he had played a shot, albeit a very late one that wasn't really close to the ball.
Khawaja sent the decision to the DRS, which showed the ball to be crashing into off stump, sending the lefty back to the pavilion.
However Khawaja and Burns were both unimpressed by Llong's split-second decision to rule that no shot was offered.
Both batsmen threw their arms up and questioned Llong, while Shane Warne was also unconvinced in the commentary box.
"Khawaja is really disappointed, he thinks he played a shot," Warne said.
"I think he did start to play a shot but then decided to leave it."
Fans were fuming on social media.
Least we can see the umpires are trying to gift SA the win. Khawaja clearly offering a shot. #SAvAUS
— Cricket Australia Fan (@CricketAustFan) April 2, 2018
Poor decision by the @ICC Umpire Nigel Llong, clearly @Uz_Khawaja of @CricketAus was going for a shot and would have, had the ball not spun excessively. 'Not playing a shot' rule should only apply when clear and obvious like @faf1307 dismissal. #SAvAUS
— Hasil M (@IamHasil) April 2, 2018
Accept that you're out or try to convince everyone you've played a really really terrible shot? Tough call for Khawaja. #SAvAUS
— Brydon Coverdale (@brydoncoverdale) April 2, 2018
@ShaneWarne Surely Khawaja was playing a shot. Look at the first few deliveries in over that went straight on
— Scott Nissen (@scottynissen7) April 2, 2018
Horrible decision..i cant believe the umpire decided tat Khawaja din play a shot..r u blind?
— PRANTIK (@toyingwith_life) April 2, 2018
That's a bizarre call from Llong to me. Khawaja has tried to offer a shot imo, the ball just spun way more than he thought it would. #SAvAUS
— Anthony D'Arcy (@adarcy93) April 2, 2018
South Africa will record their first home Test series win over Australia since the end of apartheid, having successfully batted the tourists out of the contest in Johannesburg.
Australia, set an insurmountable target of 612 at tea on day four of the fourth Test, will resume at 3-88 on day five.
Batting through three sessions on Tuesday would be a moral victory for the visitors, reeling from the cheating scandal that resulted in Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft returning home in shame.
Unbeaten batsmen Shaun Marsh and Peter Handscomb successfully stonewalled their way to a draw in Ranchi last year, while forecast showers could also help Australia's hopes of denying South Africa victory.
with AAP