Australia vice-captain Steve Smith will undergo further checks for delayed concussion in Durban on Tuesday morning after he was hit on the helmet while batting on day four of the first Test against South Africa. He did not take the field when Australia bowled late in the day. The team will keep assessing him for as long as it considers necessary, and the episode raises fresh questions ahead of the second Test.
The blow came in the morning session, when a short ball from South African fast bowler Anrich Nortje struck the side of Smith’s helmet. The 37-year-old was assessed on the field, passed, and carried on batting with little sign of discomfort, reaching 27 as Australia pushed for quick runs. The team still kept him off the field afterwards as a precaution and ordered more tests. He had not failed any of them by stumps. Australia described the move as a precaution in case a concussion had occurred.
The match is heavily in Australia’s favour. They made 390 in their first innings and declared their second at 6/314, after bowling South Africa out for 284. By the close the home side were 4/102, leaving Australia six wickets from victory on the final day at Kingsmead. Matt Renshaw has been the standout batter of the Test, with scores of 190 and 82. His first-innings 190 put Australia in control of the match.
Smith has a history of head knocks, the best known being the blow he took from a Jofra Archer bouncer during the 2019 Ashes. Early indications this time are positive, but a confirmed concussion would leave him in serious doubt for the second Test in Gqeberha, which starts on Sunday, because of the tiered return-to-play protocols that apply.
His situation adds to an unsettled selection picture for Australia ahead of Sunday’s second Test, with several batting places still to be settled. Josh Inglis has rejoined the squad in South Africa after fracturing a finger and batted in the nets on Monday wearing a splint, with every indication that he will be fit for Sunday. Cameron Green is recovering from an abdominal strain and has not been ruled out. If fit, either player would probably have batted at number five, but Renshaw’s returns in Durban make a strong case for keeping him in that position.
