New Delhi: Australia will have to wait until their home Test series against New Zealand in December to bring Steve Smith back into contention, with scans confirming a cervical facet joint injury that forced the experienced batter to miss the ongoing series decider against South Africa in Cape Town.
Smith developed neck pain on the fourth day of the second ICC World Test Championship encounter against the Proteas in Gqeberha last week. The issue persisted, and restricted movement ultimately ruled him out of the third Test, which began Tuesday. Further medical assessments have since established the nature of the injury and provided a clearer picture of his recovery timeline.
Cricket Australia confirmed that the 37-year-old would remain unavailable for selection until the upcoming home series, with treatment and rehabilitation to continue in the interim.
“Steve Smith developed neck pain on day four of the second Test in Gqeberha last week. Subsequent MRI imaging confirmed a cervical facet joint injury. Due to this and his limited range of motion, he was unfit to participate in the current Test.
“Steve will continue to receive treatment and rehabilitation, with a full return to availability anticipated for the upcoming home Test series against New Zealand,” Cricket Australia confirmed via a statement.
Smith’s absence opened the door for Josh Inglis to make his return to the Test side, and the recalled batter made the most of the opportunity Wednesday. Batting under pressure after Australia lost two quick wickets, Inglis remained unbeaten on 85 as the visitors reached 330/4, securing a slender first-innings lead of one run over South Africa.
The innings marked Inglis’ first Test appearance since the Ashes series in Adelaide at the end of last year. His ability to settle quickly and counter the pressure drew praise from teammate Matthew Renshaw, who felt the right-hander had delivered precisely what Australia needed at that stage of the innings.
“He’s a very talented player; we’ve seen that across a lot of the white-ball formats. To come in today, we were under a little bit of pressure, having lost two quick wickets, and the way that he played was really positive – it was a very Josh innings, and I think it was really what we needed at that time,” Renshaw noted.
