Steve Smith’s neck injury on the first morning of Australia’s Test series final against South Africa was a devastating blow. Although Smith had been battling the problem since the second Test in Gqeberha, he seemed ready to play in Cape Town as his team sought to recover from their loss.
The batting talisman has been replaced in the starting lineup by wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, one of four changes made to the Australian team from their Gqeberha squad. Smith’s participation in this Test seemed doomed when Captain Pat Cummins indicated at the toss that he felt another niggle in his neck the morning of the day’s play.
Smith’s neck pain began during the second Test at Gqeberha, and it persisted throughout the preparations for the Cape Town match. He finished a quick net practice at Newlands early on October 27 while wearing what looked to be a bandage or heat patch on the injured area, according to Cricinfo, and then left the training area for around thirty minutes.
Given that Cape Town was the site of the historic “Sandpapergate” incident, in which then-Australian captain Smith, vice-captain David Warner, and batter Cameron Bancroft were all banned after Bancroft was seen scratching the ball with a substance like sandpaper, this Test is very important for Smith.
Josh Inglis replaces Smith in the batting order since he is absent. After recuperating from an abdominal strain, Cameron Green also makes a comeback, taking Nic Maddinson’s place. Beau Webster and Scott Boland are replaced in the starting lineup by all-rounder Cooper Connolly and Nathan Lyon. The entire series weight is carried by the third test.
Before South Africa tied the score with a commanding innings-and-31-run victory in Gqeberha, Australia won the first game in Durban by 214 runs. As a result, the Cape Town match is the decisive one. In order to compete in the Sheffield Shield, Nic Maddinson and Sam Harper were removed from the touring team, which decreased the number of players available for this game.
