Durban: You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone (or could be).
uncertain
it → know → what
Twenty-four hours after he was the happiest man at Kingsmead with four catches, three of them utterly brilliant, Steve Smith cut a downbeat figure in the team viewing area as he watched the final session unfold.
asserted
session → cut → area
Led by Josh Hazlewood and skipper Pat Cummins, plus a first Test wicket for the ebullient Matt Renshaw, Australia are closing in on a meritorious victory here.
asserted
Australia → lead → victory
But they must also wait to discover whether Smith will be out of the next Test or even the series, if it turns out he has suffered a delayed concussion.
asserted
he → wait → concussion
Tellingly, Smith observed the play in his team tracksuit, undergoing further assessment for a potential concussion after he was struck heavily on the helmet by an Anrich Nortje bouncer in the morning.
asserted
he → observe → morning
He was never going to take the field on the fourth evening, and will likely miss day five also.
asserted
He → go → day
At the time it was the sort of hit that drew winces from the small gathering of spectators, as Smith had taken his eyes off the rapid delivery and ducked the instant before it clanged off the side of his helmeted head.
asserted
it → draw → head
There was a delay of several minutes on the field while Smith was checked by team medical staff, passing those initial assessments, before a replacement helmet was called for.
asserted
helmet → be → assessments
Smith would go on to make 27, out when he was taken on the boundary while trying to hit spinner Simon Harmer for a second six over long on.
asserted
he → go → six
What exactly happened next may not be known until the latest series of the Australian team’s Amazon documentary is released sometime in 2027-28, but concussion symptoms can be capricious, either rising immediately or taking their time.
uncertain
symptoms → happen → time
“I hope he’s okay,” said allrounder Beau Webster.
asserted
Webster → hope → ?
“He obviously copped a nasty knock in the head there, but yeah, wishing him all the best.
asserted
He → cop → best
Hopefully, you know, he’s back out with this either tomorrow or in the next Test in PE [Gqeberha].
asserted
he → know → PE
Either way, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins ended up batting on for somewhat longer than most expected, keeping the third innings going until the lead was 420 and South Africa’s chase would not begin until after the tea break.
asserted
chase → end → break
Nic Maddinson (48 from 38 full-blooded balls), Marnus Labuschagne (37 for the second time in the match), Alex Carey, Webster and Cummins all contributed proactively.
asserted
Maddinson → contribute → match
But the lead role belonged once again to Matt Renshaw, who followed his sterling 190 by cruising to 82 from 99 balls, reversing the home side’s spinners to distraction.
asserted
who → belong → distraction
India’s bowlers, awaiting a home series against the Australians in late January, will be taking note of how Renshaw is still the only player to have passed 50 in this game.
asserted
Renshaw → await → game
Briefly, Renshaw appeared capable of making his second century of the match, but he bunted a ball back to Keshav Maharaj who, in the judgement of third umpire Richard Illingworth, kept the chance from touching the ground while juggling it multiple times.
asserted
who → appear → it
Renshaw did not appear to agree, but controlled his reaction.
asserted
Renshaw → appear → reaction
Smith’s concussion status will be determined overnight, with implications for the second Test of the series in Gqeberha, to begin on Sunday.
asserted
status → determine → Sunday
Should he be replaced for the final day by a concussion sub – Cooper Connolly and Josh Inglis appear the most likely options – Smith will need to enter Cricket Australia’s concussion protocols, and almost certainly be ruled out of at least the second Test.
asserted
Smith → replace → Test
Depending on his recovery time, Smith may also be in doubt for the final match of the series at Newlands in Cape Town.
uncertain
Smith → depend → Town
That would be a downbeat outcome for a series that Smith had clearly psyched himself up for, given the events of the 2018 South Africa tour and the series by series nature of his international career which, at the age of 37, is far closer to the finish than the start.
asserted
which → psyche → start
Smith has had recurring issues around both concussion and also vertigo since he was struck on the side of the neck by Jofra Archer at Lord’s during the 2019 Ashes series, a blow that ruled him out of the famous Leeds Test won for England by Ben Stokes.
asserted
that → have → Stokes
He has sporadically had to miss matches due to vertigo symptoms, most recently in Adelaide during last summer’s Ashes series.
asserted
He → have → series
Michael Neser substituted in the final session, but selection for the next Test will be complicated if Smith is out.
asserted
Smith → substitute → Test
Josh Inglis batted in the nets on Monday as he recovers from a broken finger, but Cameron Green is yet to do so and Cooper Connolly is the only other spare batsman.
asserted
Connolly → bat → finger
“There’s obviously going to be some conjecture going into every Test on what the lineup is,” Webster said.
asserted
Webster → go → Test
“I try to stay away from that unless the phone rings with [selector George Bailey’s] name on it.
asserted
phone → try → it
It’s probably not a good sign [if it rings], and it didn’t.
asserted
it → ’ → ?
I’ve got a start in this Test and looking to contribute anywhere I can.
asserted
I → get → Test
It was Josh Hazlewood who struck the first two blows, compelling an unconvincing hook from Ryan Rickelton then bringing one back to pin David Bedingham lbw.
asserted
who → strike → lbw
Renshaw, not done with this match, then got enough bite to winkle a bat/pad catch out of Temba Bavuma for his first Test wicket.
asserted
Renshaw → do → wicket
He appeared to enjoy it as much as the hundred.
asserted
He → appear → hundred
Cummins followed up by luring Tristan Stubbs into a careless drive edged behind, as the light held up longer than at any time earlier in the match.
asserted
light → follow → match
At times, it was possible to sense the absence of Smith.
asserted
it → sense → Smith
Australia missed his catching and ideas in the field, as one sliver of an Aiden Markram chance off the bowling of Nathan Lyon flew past Labuschagne at slip before he could properly react.
uncertain
he → miss → slip
But by the close, the Proteas had just six wickets left standing, with Australian eyes turned towards Smith and how he feels tomorrow.
asserted
he → have → Smith
The Aporia
