Steve Smith ruled out of third Test against South Africa in Cape Town

Steve Smith will not feature in the third Test between South Africa and Australia, scheduled from October 27 to 31 at Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town. The senior batter has been ruled out due to a neck complaint, dealing a significant blow to Australia’s hopes of clinching the series decider.

Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis has been named in the XI in place of the batting talisman, as part of four changes named to the Australian side from their side in Gqeberha. Captain Pat Cummins confirmed at the toss that Smith felt another niggle on his neck on the morning of day’s play, which sealed the fate on his participation in this Test.

What is the nature of Smith’s neck complaint?

Smith first experienced neck discomfort during the second Test in Gqeberha, and those concerns carried into the build-up to the Cape Town fixture. As reported by Cricinfo, on the morning of October 27, he completed a brief net session at Newlands while wearing what appeared to be a bandage or heat patch on the affected area, before being absent from the training area for approximately half an hour.

This Test carries much weight for Smith, with Cape Town the venue of the infamous ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal, where then Australia captain Smith, vice captain David Warner and batter Cameron Bancroft were slapped with bans after Bancroft was caught rubbing the ball with a sandpaper-like substance.

Who could replace Smith and how does the series stand?

With Smith unavailable, Josh Inglis steps into the batting order to replace him. Cameron Green also returns after recovering from an abdominal strain, replacing Nic Maddinson. All-rounder Cooper Connolly and Nathan Lyon are the other returnees, coming into the side for Beau Webster and Scott Boland.

The third Test carries full series weight. Australia won the opening match in Durban by 214 runs, before South Africa levelled proceedings with a dominant innings-and-31-run victory in Gqeberha. The Cape Town fixture is therefore the outright decider. Nic Maddinson and Sam Harper have been released from the touring squad to participate in the Sheffield Shield, reducing the available pool for this match.

Australia Playing XI for the Third Test vs SA:

Travis Head, Matt Renshaw, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Josh Inglis, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood