Steve Smith passed an on-field concussion test after an Anrich Nortje bouncer hit his helmet in Durban on Monday, but Australia kept him off the field for South Africa’s chase. He will be tested again on Tuesday morning before the final day of the first Test.
As of stumps on day four, Smith had not failed any test. Cricket Australia said an update would follow on Monday or Tuesday.
Smith ducked into that ball on only the fourth delivery he faced. Why that timing mattered is the part the replays do not show.
Beau Webster, who filled Smith’s spot at second slip, spoke at stumps.
“I hope he’s OK. He obviously copped a nasty knock in the head there…(we are) wishing him all the best.”
Beau Webster, stumps on day four, 12 October 2026
Australia are hopeful Steve Smith will play a part in final day action in Durban as the tourists strive for crucial #WTC27 points 👀
More 📲 https://t.co/feSsEHBXRR https://t.co/mwyKxHJ2Zr
— ICC (@ICC) October 13, 2026
The blow came on the fifth delivery of the 13th over of Australia’s second innings. He ducked into a short ball that stayed lower than he expected, and it glanced off his helmet to fine leg.
The team doctor and physio assessed him on the field and changed his helmet. Smith then went after Nortje, beating the deep point fielder three times within a few overs.
He fell for 27 off 41 balls, caught by Marco Jansen on the long-on rope off Simon Harmer. Australia declared at 314/6, setting South Africa 421 to win.
Insider Read
The first few balls of a Test innings against genuine pace are the most dangerous a batter faces. You walk out from a dressing room and your eyes have not yet measured the bowler’s speed or how the ball is coming off that surface. Against Nortje, there is no time to work it out while the ball is in the air.
A duck is decided almost as the ball leaves the hand, off the length you read. Once your head goes down, you are no longer watching the ball, so if it does not climb as expected, your head moves into its path instead of under it. Four balls in, Smith’s body committed before his eyes had the full picture.
What a Concussion Would Mean for Gqeberha
Under CA’s concussion policy, a diagnosis means a minimum 24-hour stand-down, with no return to cricket activity until a medical officer clears him. The second Test starts in Gqeberha on Sunday, 18 October, and the tiered return process would put Smith in serious doubt.
Australia’s caution has history. At Lord’s in 2019, Smith passed his first on-field test after a Jofra Archer bouncer, then was ruled out mid-match and replaced by Marnus Labuschagne.
A Smith absence would also force a selection call. Josh Inglis batted in the nets on Monday wearing a splint after his fractured finger, and Cameron Green is recovering from an abdominal strain. Matt Renshaw’s 190 and 82 at No.5 make him hard to move.
Also Read
