Steve Smith ruled out of Cape Town Test with neck injury

Steve Smith has been ruled out of Australia’s third Test against South Africa in Cape Town after failing to recover from a neck injury. The batter, who is 37, failed a last-minute fitness test before the toss, and Australia have made four changes for the series decider at Newlands.

Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl first on a sunny morning. Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Cooper Connolly and Nathan Lyon come into the XI.

What happened to Smith

Smith had complained of neck stiffness at the match-eve training session. Cummins said he tried batting again on the morning of the Test but was not happy with how the neck felt, which left the team looking for options.

The problem is not new. It also troubled Smith in the second Test in Gqeberha, where he could not bat for an extended period during Australia’s innings-and-31-run defeat.

Who comes in

Green moves into the No.4 spot vacated by Smith, and Inglis bats at No.5. Matthew Renshaw goes back to open alongside Travis Head.

Smith’s top score in the series is 28, made in the first innings at Gqeberha, after 25 and 27 in the opening Test at Durban.

State of the series

Australia won by 214 runs on 9 October, scoring 390 and 314/6 against South Africa’s 284 and 206. South Africa then levelled the South Africa vs Australia Test series at 1-1 with an innings-and-31-run win at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on 18 October.

In that match Australia were bowled out for 99 in their first innings and made 295 in their second, while South Africa made 425/9.

The Cape Town Test now decides the series. Australia’s next scheduled fixture after it is the first match of the white-ball series against England on Friday, 13 November 2026, at 9:00 AM IST.