'He'll be fine': Smith tipped to step up in series decider

So confident is Travis Head in Steve Smith's indifference to returning to ground zero of one of the most distressing moments of his career that he has called on Newlands to lift the series mood for next week's deciding third Test.

Smith has endured a fraught time through Australia's first two Tests against the Proteas, twinging his neck in the second Test only days after suffering a concussion scare in the first. Whether coincidence or not, his batting has suffered, having so far failed to pass 30.

It puts him at risk of finishing with his lowest average in a Test series of at least three matches; his mark through four hits so far currently stands at 20.75. If it stays there or goes further south, it will be his worst campaign since that ill-fated 2018 tour to South Africa. 

Australia were warned to expect hostile crowds upon their return to these shores but, for various reasons, the atmosphere for the matches in Durban and Gqeberha has been about as intimidating as prancing dik-diks.

Cape Town has been tipped to provide an uptick in that regard at one of world cricket’s most iconic venues. If so, Head suggested Smith could defy the jeers like he did at Edgbaston in his return from his ban in the 2019 Ashes.

"He'll be fine. I think he showed that in '19 in England," the opener said. "It'd be nice to have a crowd. I'm hearing good things about Cape Town – a good atmosphere is always good.

"We support him. I think he's been through a lot in that space. I think he handles it well. Sometimes it brings the best out of him, as we've seen in the past.

"I know he's been in the wars. He'll rest up in the next few days, and I think he'll be fine."

Speaking to Kayo Sports this week, Smith admitted he had been anxious after his blow to the helmet in the series opener, fearing a repeat of the concussion he suffered during that 2019 Ashes. The 37-year-old has also reckoned with vertigo problems in the years since.

His neck complaint then clearly hampered him in the Gqeberha rout; getting clean bowled by Wiaan Mulder's medium pace before aiming a wild pull at a wide Kagiso Rabada delivery were both uncharacteristic dismissals.

But Smith has a formidable record when Test series have been on the line.

The right-hander made a telling 59 in Australia's last true series decider (the series being level for the final Test) against Pakistan in Lahore in 2022, while he struck 71 and 53 when his side were 2-1 up for the finale of the 2023 Ashes.

He missed out when the scoreline was the same for the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test at the SCG in 2024-25 – although he had piled on 140 when the series was tied the week before at the MCG against India.

He then added 66 against South Africa in last year's World Test Championship final.

"You look back at opportunities that we've had to come back in series, times when we've been put under pressure," said Head. "This team's been very good at coming back from adversity. You only have to go back to the first Test of each summer over the last, it sort of feels like two or three years where we haven't played our best cricket.

"But we've had to come back over a summer (after those defeats) and play really well. Every guy's got different blueprints, different experiences as well. As a team, I think we know what we can do at our best."

Even in Cape Town, Smith has a big performance in a deciding Test to draw on; in 2014 he scored 84 in the first innings of Australia's epic victory.

"You take last time (2018) out – where I've blocked most of it out of my memory, tried to forget most of it – the series before in (2014) was actually one of my favourite series I've been involved in," he told cricket.com.au before this series.

"Winning in Cape Town (to secure the series) in that last little period – with Ryan Harris on one leg … was a great series, and one I always think back on."

Qantas tour of South Africa 2026

All matches to be broadcast exclusively in Australia on Kayo and Fox Cricket

First Test: Australia won by 214 runs

Second Test: South Africa won by an innings and 31 runs

Third Test: October 27-31, Newlands, Cape Town, 7:30pm AEDT (10:30am local)

South Africa squad for second Test: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne.

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (second Test onwards), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster