Cape Town: Steve Smith has been ruled out of the third and final Test match against South Africa at Newlands here due to the neck issue he sustained in the second Test match.
Smith's exclusion is among the four changes the Aussies made for the Cape Town Test, as opener Nic Maddinson, fast-bowler Scott Boland and Beau Webster missed , with Nathan Lyon, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green and Josh Inglis coming in as the Aussies look to bounce back from their innings and 31-run defeat in the second game.
Smith's absence comes as a huge blow for Australia as they will now look to Green and Inglis to fill in the role in the middle order, while Connolly also gets a chance after playing his only Test in early February 2025 in Sri Lanka.
Smith abruptly left a fitness test on the match eve, and skipper Pat Cummins confirmed that Smith had a try with the bat on the morning of the game but was not feeling great to go. "We’ve got four changes. We’ve got Cooper Connolly, Cam Green, Nathan Lyon back in and Josh Inglis. Beau Webster, Nick Maddinson, Scotty Boland and unfortunately Steve Smith, not quite right. (Explaining how late the decision was made on Smith's availability) He had another little try this morning. But yeah, wasn’t happy with how his neck was feeling, so had to look elsewhere," Cummins said after winning the toss and opting to bowl.
The visitors will also have a new opening pair as Matt Renshaw, the hero of the first Test, will be promoted to open with Travis Head. Maddinson's fairytale return from testicular cancer did not reap instant results as he managed to score 56 across the four innings he played.
Green and Inglis were nursing their respective injuries. The all-rounder missed the two Tests due to a shoulder problem, while Inglis suffered a fractured finger in the ODIs that preceded the Tests against the Proteas.
Meanwhile, South Africa had announced their Playing XI one day before the Test, as Gerald Coetzee was included in for the injured Anrich Nortje as the only change for the hosts.
Playing XIs:
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Gerald Coetzee, Kagiso Rabada
Australia: Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (w), Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
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