Steve Smith Injury Scare Raises Concerns for Australia Against South Africa

Australia were without Steve Smith on the field as South Africa began their run chase on the fourth day of the opening Test at Kingsmead. The batter had been struck on the helmet earlier in the day while playing in the second innings.

The incident happened just four balls into Smith’s innings when Anrich Nortje bowled a short delivery that hit his helmet and sent the ball towards fine leg.

Smith then received medical attention on the field and changed his helmet afterwards before returning to bat. He managed 27 runs from 41 balls before Harmer got him out, with Jansen taking the catch at long-on.

Australia later declared at 314-6 after 58 overs, setting South Africa a big target of 421. Matt Renshaw played a major role in building that lead, scoring 82 runs after his strong performance in the first innings.

Interestingly, Smith was not among the Australian players on the field when South Africa began their chase in the final session. Neser stepped in as a substitute fielder, taking Smith’s place in the slips cordon.

As per the recent reports, Cricket Australia is expected to share more details about Smith’s condition by Monday evening or Tuesday. The board said he had not been diagnosed with a concussion as of Monday.

Despite this, Smith cannot return to the field until he has been free of symptoms for the required period and is cleared to play. This has definitely created a concern for the visitors, as Smith is an integral part of their batting unit. The 37-year old has also performed well on previous South Africa tours, so having him in the batting order throughout the series is extremely important for Australia.