Is Khawaja the best nightwatchman ever?

Nathan Lyon has hailed Usman Khawaja's gutsy 145 in the third Test against South Africa as one of the best innings he's ever seen … by a nightwatchman.

Speaking after taking 3-48 on day three, Lyon – Australia's regular nightwatchman – paid special tribute to his understudy for posting a crucial century and providing the backbone of the hosts' first innings total of 383.

"To be honest it's up there with the best innings of a nightwatchman I've seen," Lyon said with a wry smile on his face.

"Hats off to Usman."

Khawaja was thrust up the order to open the innings late on day one after Proteas skipper Faf du Plessis sprung a surprise declaration while David Warner was ineligible to bat having spent too long off the field receiving treatment for a shoulder injury.

Quick Single: Timely declaration catches Warner short

In his new role, Khawaja and debutant opening partner Matthew Renshaw successfully negotiated a dozen testing overs under lights, shielding Australia's new-look batting order, and Warner, from facing a fresh pink ball.

"The boys are calling me 'nightwatchman' at the moment," Khawaja told ABC Grandstand prior to play on day three.

"They've had a few jokes about it. It was just one of those things.

"I wasn't expecting to be out there.

"When I got told it wasn't too bad because as a No.3 you can be out there second ball anyway. So it wasn't too dissimilar."

Quick Single: Andrew Ramsey's day three report

Khawaja went on to make his fifth Test match century and propel Australia to a 124-run lead on first innings, coincidentally in front of Jason Gillespie, the game's greatest nightwatchman.

A hostile paceman with 259 Test wicket in 71 Tests, Gillespie will go down in the history books as the first, and currently only, nightwatchman to score a double-century.

The remarkable innings came in his final Test in April 2006 against Bangladesh in Chittagong, batting for almost 10 hours to score a 201no having come in late on day one at the loss of powerhouse opening batsman Matthew Hayden.

While Khawaja is technically not a nightwatchman (he fails virtually every criteria), his innings was nevertheless adored by his teammates and the more than 100,000 spectators across the three days in Adelaide. 

"(Khawaja) worked really hard," fast bowler Mitchell Starc told Optus Sport's 'Stumps'.

"He obviously did the hard work up front to get through some tough periods when the South Africans were bowling quite well.

Quick Single: New, mature version the best Uz yet: Warne

"To see him come away with a big score is fantastic to see.

"He scored some runs in the first couple of Tests but to come away with three figures in this game has been fantastic to watch."

International cricket is more affordable than ever this summer, with adult tickets from $30, kids from $10 and family packages from $65 across every day of international cricket. Price for purchase at match. Transaction fee from $6.95 applies to online and other purchases. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.