Durban: You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone (or could be).
Twenty-four hours after he was the happiest man at Kingsmead with four catches, three of them utterly brilliant, Steve Smith cut a downbeat figure in the team viewing area as he watched the final session unfold.
Led by Josh Hazlewood and skipper Pat Cummins, plus a first Test wicket for the ebullient Matt Renshaw, Australia are closing in on a meritorious victory here. But they must also wait to discover whether Smith will be out of the next Test or even the series, if it turns out he has suffered a delayed concussion.
Tellingly, Smith observed the play in his team tracksuit, undergoing further assessment for a potential concussion after he was struck heavily on the helmet by an Anrich Nortje bouncer in the morning. He was never going to take the field on the fourth evening, and will likely miss day five also.
At the time it was the sort of hit that drew winces from the small gathering of spectators, as Smith had taken his eyes off the rapid delivery and ducked the instant before it clanged off the side of his helmeted head.
There was a delay of several minutes on the field while Smith was checked by team medical staff, passing those initial assessments, before a replacement helmet was called for.
Smith would go on to make 27, out when he was taken on the boundary while trying to hit spinner Simon Harmer for a second six over long on.
What exactly happened next may not be known until the latest series of the Australian team’s Amazon documentary is released sometime in 2027-28, but concussion symptoms can be capricious, either rising immediately or taking their time.
“I hope he’s okay,” said allrounder Beau Webster. “He obviously copped a nasty knock in the head there, but yeah, wishing him all the best. Hopefully, you know, he’s back out with this either tomorrow or in the next Test in PE [Gqeberha].”
Either way, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins ended up batting on for somewhat longer than most expected, keeping the third innings going until the lead was 420 and South Africa’s chase would not begin until after the tea break.
It was a strong ensemble display. Nic Maddinson (48 from 38 full-blooded balls), Marnus Labuschagne (37 for the second time in the match), Alex Carey, Webster and Cummins all contributed proactively.
But the lead role belonged once again to Matt Renshaw, who followed his sterling 190 by cruising to 82 from 99 balls, reversing the home side’s spinners to distraction. India’s bowlers, awaiting a home series against the Australians in late January, will be taking note of how Renshaw is still the only player to have passed 50 in this game.
Briefly, Renshaw appeared capable of making his second century of the match, but he bunted a ball back to Keshav Maharaj who, in the judgement of third umpire Richard Illingworth, kept the chance from touching the ground while juggling it multiple times. Renshaw did not appear to agree, but controlled his reaction.
Smith’s concussion status will be determined overnight, with implications for the second Test of the series in Gqeberha, to begin on Sunday. Should he be replaced for the final day by a concussion sub – Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis appear the most likely options – Smith will need to enter Cricket Australia’s concussion protocols, and almost certainly be ruled out of at least the second Test.
Depending on his recovery time, Smith may also be in doubt for the final match of the series at Newlands in Cape Town. That would be a downbeat outcome for a series that Smith had clearly psyched himself up for, given the events of the 2018 South Africa tour and the series by series nature of his international career which, at the age of 37, is far closer to the finish than the start.
Smith has had recurring issues around both concussion and also vertigo since he was struck on the side of the neck by Jofra Archer at Lord’s during the 2019 Ashes series, a blow that ruled him out of the famous Leeds Test won for England by Ben Stokes. He has sporadically had to miss matches due to vertigo symptoms, most recently in Adelaide during last summer’s Ashes series.
Michael Neser substituted in the final session, but selection for the next Test will be complicated if Smith is out. Josh Inglis batted in the nets on Monday as he recovers from a broken finger, but Cameron Green is yet to do so and Cooper Connolly is the only other spare batsman.
“There’s obviously going to be some conjecture going into every Test on what the lineup is,” Webster said. “I try to stay away from that unless the phone rings with [selector George Bailey’s] name on it. It’s probably not a good sign [if it rings], and it didn’t. I’ve got a start in this Test and looking to contribute anywhere I can.”
It was Josh Hazlewood who struck the first two blows, compelling an unconvincing hook from Ryan Rickelton then bringing one back to pin David Bedingham lbw.
Renshaw, not done with this match, then got enough bite to winkle a bat/pad catch out of Temba Bavuma for his first Test wicket. He appeared to enjoy it as much as the hundred. Cummins followed up by luring Tristan Stubbs into a careless drive edged behind, as the light held up longer than at any time earlier in the match.
At times, it was possible to sense the absence of Smith. Australia missed his catching and ideas in the field, as one sliver of an Aiden Markram chance off the bowling of Nathan Lyon flew past Labuschagne at slip before he could properly react. But by the close, the Proteas had just six wickets left standing, with Australian eyes turned towards Smith and how he feels tomorrow.
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