Australia Await Steve Smith’s Fitness Ahead of South Africa Test Decider
Nic Maddinson Returns to Sheffield Shield After Difficult Test Outings
SYDNEY: (Sports Desk) – Australia are awaiting a fitness update on star batter Steve Smith ahead of the decisive Test against South Africa, scheduled to begin tomorrow at Newlands Stadium.
The visitors have already made two changes to their squad, releasing recalled opener Nic Maddinson to return home for the Sheffield Shield competition. Maddinson struggled in the opening two matches, managing scores of 48 and 8, including two ducks.
With Maddinson out of the squad, Matt Renshaw is expected to open alongside Travis Head as Australia continue to search for a settled opening combination following the retirements of David Warner and Usman Khawaja.
Wicketkeeping cover Sam Harper has also been released to play in a Sheffield Shield match. Meanwhile, Josh Inglis has been cleared to resume wicketkeeping duties and will serve as backup to first-choice keeper Alex Carey.
However, Smith’s fitness remains the major concern for Australia. The veteran right-hander suffered a neck strain during the second Test in Gqeberha, leaving his availability for the series decider uncertain.
Smith will need to complete a full net session on Monday to strengthen his chances of playing. So far, his batting workload has been limited, with the batter spending only 15 minutes facing side-arm deliveries from assistant coach Michael Di Venuto.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald acknowledged that Smith faces a challenging path to being declared fit for the match.
“We feel like it’s going to be a pretty steep progression in terms of [whether] he should be available. But if we’re surprised today, you’ll see that play out,” McDonald said.
If Smith is ruled out, Marnus Labuschagne could retain his place in the playing XI, despite scrutiny over his recent run of form.
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