Cricket

Day four in Durban delivered two very different ‘knocks’ for Australia’s batsmen, and both could shape the rest of the series against South Africa.

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Following his first-innings heroics Matthew Renshaw produced once again with another 82 valuable runs — 272 runs for the match — to leave the tourists on the cusp of a First Test victory. 

But the mood was tempered by a scare in the middle when Steve Smith copped a nasty blow to the helmet from an Anrich Nortje bouncer. 

Despite batting on before being dismissed for 27, Smith spent the afternoon session in the change rooms being assessed for concussion while his teammates chased wickets on the field.

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The timing of Smith’s head knock could hardly be worse for the tourists.

With the three-Test series crammed into just 22 days, there is little room to manoeuvre.

Under current ICC protocols a delayed concussion diagnosis would almost certainly rule Smith out of the Second Test in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) given the short turnaround between matches.

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The compressed schedule means the damage might not stop there either. If symptoms linger or emerge later, Smith could also be sidelined for the Final Test in Cape Town, leaving Australia without their most feared and prolific run-scorer for the bulk of the series — not to mention their best slips fielder.

Should Smith be unavailable it could open the door for Cooper Connelly or Josh Inglis to return into the starting XI and force yet more changes to the constantly-changing Australian top order given Cameron Green’s fitness remains unclear.

For now, the tourists will take comfort from Renshaw’s dominant run-scoring form, which has given them a commanding grip on the opening Test.

Meanwhile South Africa will no doubt be quietly pleased that Nortje’s aggression has rattled the opposition, even if a draw now looms as their best result in Durban.

With one day to play at Kingsmead, South Africa is 4-102 requiring another 321 runs for an improbable victory while Australia needs six more wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

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Of course, bad light may yet beat both teams.