Steve Smith was ruled out of the series-deciding third Test against South Africa at Newlands with the neck injury that had already affected him in the second Test at Gqeberha, with Josh Inglis drafted in as one of four changes to Australia's XI before their reply to South Africa's first-innings 329 got under way on day two.
Alongside Inglis, Australia also recalled Nathan Lyon and Cooper Connolly for the Newlands decider following their innings-and-31-run defeat in the second Test, with Cameron Green also restored to the XI. With Smith unavailable, Matt Renshaw moved up to open alongside Travis Head, while Green slotted in at number four in a batting order built around the senior middle-order batter's absence.
South Africa hit back immediately once Australia's reply began. Off-spinner Simon Harmer removed Head and Marnus Labuschagne in the same over, bowling Head for 41 off the first ball he faced from him, with seven fours to his name, before also having Labuschagne caught by Aiden Markram at slip for a duck. The double strike left Australia wobbling early in their chase of South Africa's total.
Australia were 90 for 2 at lunch, with Renshaw unbeaten on 27 and Green on 17, before the pair dug in through the afternoon session. Their partnership passed a hundred in the 40th over and had grown to 113 by the 43rd, with Renshaw going on to 67 and Green also reaching a half-century of his own as Australia moved to 174 for 2, trailing South Africa's 329 by 155 runs with eight wickets in hand. Green survived a review on 22 when South Africa believed they had caught him at second slip off Harmer, with the third umpire ruling the ball had not carried.
The series is level at 1-1 heading into this match, after Australia's 214-run win in the opener at Durban and South Africa's innings-and-31-run win at Gqeberha squared the ledger. Smith's absence leaves Australia without their most experienced middle-order batter for the match that decides the series, putting extra weight on the Renshaw-Green stand to set up a competitive reply.
Harmer's double-wicket over makes him the standout value bowling pick for as long as he keeps troubling Australia's middle order, while Renshaw and Green's recovery partnership marks both as the batting picks worth tracking if either can convert their fifties into a bigger score. Inglis's maiden opportunity in the middle order is also worth monitoring once Australia's recognised batters are back in the shed.
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Scores and wicket details in this article are verified against same-day and freshly re-checked reporting as of October 28, 2026; play was still continuing through the afternoon session at Newlands at the time of writing, and Australia's day-two close-of-play total was not yet known.
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