SA vs AUS, 2nd Test, Day 5: With Australia needing a herculean effort on Day 5 to save the second Test against South Africa at the St. George’s Park in Gqeberha, there were apparent question marks over whether Steve Smith will be available to bat.
Head coach Andrew McDonald, who appeared in the post-game presser, provided a huge update on the veteran batter ahead of the final day of the second Test.
SA vs AUS, 2nd Test, Day 5: Will Steve Smith be available to bat? Andrew McDonald answers
The former Australian captain had injured his neck while batting and looked in visible discomfort during his innings of 28 off 88 deliveries. He didn’t even come out to bat in the regular No.4 spot in the second innings after the Proteas enforced the follow-on. However, McDonald revealed that Smith will be available to bat in the second innings and said, as quoted by cricket.com.au:
“We felt it was best to hopefully get the batting unit through to tomorrow and then hopefully he’s better placed. We’ve seen the physio working on him, so he’ll bat tomorrow. It’s not something that will rule him out of the innings, but it was just a little bit more time than we expected on the back of the first innings. Sometimes he changes his technique when he’s fully fit too, but he was limited in what he could do.”
SA vs AUS, 2nd Test, Day 5: Travis Head expected to do the bulk of work to plot Australia’s jailbreak
While the tourists will need Smith to step up at some stage of the innings, Travis Head will be expected to do the bulk of work to help their side to safety. The South Australian will resume on Day 5 at 87, eyeing his second away ton as he found some semblance of control, albeit some luck also going his way. But Australia still lost four wickets, with the wicket of Marnus Labuschagne (39) coming at the very wrong time, given how desperate South Africa were getting for a breakthrough. A poor shot from the left-hander opened the floodgates as Matt Renshaw (11) and Beau Webster (8) also perished without troubling the scores by much.
South Africa enforced the follow-on after Australia were routed for 99 in less then 45 overs, leaving them to trail by 326 runs. While Australia have done better in the second innings, there is still a long way to go.