Australia's Test batting line-up is under renewed scrutiny after an innings and 31-run defeat to South Africa in Gqeberha, with Fox Sports reporting that several members of the top seven are running out of rope ahead of the series finale in Cape Town. The loss has placed Australian selectors firmly in the spotlight, and former players have voiced their frustration with the current crop. Among the issues raised was why several Australian greats find Marnus Labuschagne so frustrating, a topic aired during Fox Cricket's coverage of the tour.
Why it matters
The result in Gqeberha leaves Australia with questions across its batting order at a point when the team is beginning a demanding 12-month stretch of Test cricket. According to Fox Sports, a recently retired Australian batter — who was in the team as recently as January's Sydney Test — has been as baffled as fans by some of the selectors' recent decisions. That perspective from inside the dressing room adds weight to the external criticism, and it means the choices made for Cape Town will be read as a signal of how the selectors intend to handle an underperforming group.
Smith's neck complaint and a shuffled order
Steve Smith's physical condition became a central storyline in Gqeberha. Before the second Test began, captain Pat Cummins dismissed suggestions that Smith was close to retirement. Fox Sports reports, however, that Smith said in September he was not sure whether he would still be playing by the time the next Ashes series arrives, and that the wear and tear of a long career is now something he has to manage.
The tour has already taken a physical toll. In the first Test in Durban, Smith was hit on the helmet by a bouncer from Anrich Nortje and underwent a series of concussion tests. He also left the field after injuring a finger while taking a slips catch. In Gqeberha it was a recurring neck problem that hampered him during the first innings, and he batted at No.7 rather than his usual position. Fox Sports reported that he was photographed in the rooms on Wednesday afternoon wearing a support around his neck.
His second innings lasted 20 balls on day five and ended in unusual fashion: he mistimed a pull off Kagiso Rabada, who was bowling his second ball of the spell, and Matthew Breetzke took a juggling catch. Australian coach Andrew McDonald was described as stunned by what he saw from the team balcony.
Speaking on Kayo Sports coverage, former teammate Usman Khawaja said Smith has been more vulnerable to bouncers since being struck by Jofra Archer at Lord's in the 2019 Ashes. Khawaja said teammates used to joke about not touching Smith's head, and that the after-effects of that blow have stayed with him even as he continued to bat at a world-class level. Fellow analyst Kerry O'Keeffe added that age is now a factor, saying that repeated blows and minor injuries accumulate for players in the veteran stage of their careers.
Cummins said Smith twisted his neck while batting the previous day and was padded up that evening, prompting the team to move him down the order and assess how he woke up. The captain said Smith was fine and would be ready for Cape Town.
Selection questions before Cape Town
The defeat has widened the focus beyond Smith. Fox Sports reports that the spotlight will fall squarely on the selectors before the final Test, with several top-order players short of credit. The network's coverage also featured a former Australian batter revealing the moment that changed Smith after a difficult Test played through the neck issue, and explaining why figures around Australian cricket find Labuschagne such a frustrating player to watch.
Those talking points sit alongside a broader review of the performance in Gqeberha. Fox Sports' coverage noted that Travis Head's century was not enough to prevent a heavy defeat, and that only three Australians were judged to have passed in a poor team display. Head's innings was described as a gutsy 121, while a lower-order player's three-hour stay at the crease was labelled a cult-hero vigil.
For the selectors, the challenge is to decide whether the problems in Gqeberha reflect a short-term dip or a deeper issue with the composition of the batting order. The retired player's admission of confusion over recent calls suggests the decisions have not been easy to explain even to those inside the set-up, which raises the stakes on the choices made for the final match of the series.
Watch for the team announcement for Cape Town and for confirmation of Smith's fitness and batting position, which will indicate how the selectors intend to reshape a top order under pressure.
