Australia face make-or-break Test against South Africa in Cape Town

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 27 Oct, 07:50 · Archive

Australia play South Africa in a series-deciding Test in Cape Town with careers potentially at stake after a heavy defeat in the previous match.

Australia and South Africa play their series-deciding Test in Cape Town, with the winner taking the overall series. Australia must bounce back after a humiliating defeat in Gqeberha, where they managed only 99 in their first innings and lost by an innings and 31 runs.

The Australian batting has been fragile throughout the tour. Travis Head has been the standout performer with 121 in the second innings at Durban, 81 more than any other Australian batter in that match. Steve Smith, banned in 2018 for his role in the ball-tampering scandal, has stuttered with scores in the twenties and a knock of three across his recent innings. He faces a late fitness test after being hampered by a neck problem in Gqeberha.

South Africa will be without paceman Anrich Nortje, who suffered a groin injury in Gqeberha after bowling 40 overs in his first red-ball match in over three years. The Proteas have not yet named a replacement, though options include Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch, Dane Paterson, or left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy given Cape Town's reputation for spin-friendly conditions.

How it is being reported

• South Africa vs Australia: Latest updates from deciding TestOver-by-over updates from the third and final Test between South Africa and Australia in Cape Town, with the series tied 1-1 heading into the decider.Sky Sports · 27 Oct, 08:25
• South Africa v Australia: third men’s cricket Test, day one – liveUpdates from the final match of the series at Newlands First ball in Cape Town is 10.30am local/7.30pm AEDT/8.30am GMT Any thoughts? Get in touch with an email One, two, three. That’s as many Tests as we’re going to get in this series, and today begins the third and final. It’s the one that we’ve all been waiting for: the return to Cape Town, the scene of all that went wrong for Australia in 2018, and thus the location with so much riding on it should they put on a performance that would create some fresher and better memories. That, though, would require a serious turnaround in form and…The Guardian · 27 Oct, 07:30
• Live: Smith under injury cloud as series-deciding Cape Town Test beginsThe Test series is on the line as Australia and South Africa meet in the shadow of Table Mountain in Cape Town for the deciding match. Follow live.ABC News Australia · 27 Oct, 07:30
• Careers on the line for Australia in deciding South Africa Test?Australia are about to play a Test match in Cape Town for the first time since the ball-tampering scandal back in 2018 that paused a number of their cricketers' careers.Sky Sports · 26 Oct, 13:00

In this story: Australia · South Africa · Steve Smith · Travis Head · Cape Town · Anrich Nortje · Cameron Bancroft · David Warner

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