Facebook Pixel Travis Head Backs Out Of Form Steve Smith To Deliver In 3rd Test vs South Africa | CREX
All
Latest
Cricket News
Cricket Records
Cricket Analysis
Cricket Prediction
Cricket Reactions
Cricket Listicles
Cricket Stories
Live
NZNZ
vs
INDIND
IND-AIND-A
vs
NZ-ANZ-A
NAMNAM
vs
IREIRE
  • Home
  • Cricket News
  • Travis Head Backs Out Of Form Steve Smith To Deliver In 3Rd Test Vs South Africa

Travis Head Backs Out Of Form Steve Smith To Deliver In 3rd Test vs South Africa

Mayank

Travis Head on Steve Smith ahead of 3rd Test vs SA [Source: AFP]Travis Head on Steve Smith ahead of 3rd Test vs SA [Source: AFP]

Steve Smith will return to the Newlands in Cape Town for the first time since the infamous Sandpapergate in 2018. With David Warner retired and Cameron Bancroft out of the squad, Smith is likely to face a lot of heat from the crowd.

Leading up to the Test, the veteran batter has not lived up to his reputation in the series. He has scored three 20s in four innings, but friend and teammate Travis Head has openly backed Smith to come good come the series decider.

Head extends support to Smith

Considered as a run-machine in Test cricket, Steve Smith is still the most important batter of their out-of-form batting lineup. However, in 2026, he has only scored one century and a fifty, and a big knock in what could be his last tour of South Africa is still to come.

The crowd is expected to be all over him, but centurion from Gqeberha, Travis Head, who has also stitched some exciting partnerships with Smith, has said that the former Aussie captain will turn the situation around in the series decider, having previously faced some hostile crowds on his Test return from ban in 2019.

"He'll be fine. I think he showed that in '19 in England. It'd be nice to have a crowd. I'm hearing good things about Cape Town – a good atmosphere is always good. We support him. I think he's been through a lot in that space. I think he handles it well. Sometimes it brings the best out of him, as we've seen in the past," Head told cricket.com.au.

"I know he's been in the wars. He'll rest up in the next few days, and I think he'll be fine," he added.

Australia look to Smith for inspiration in decider

Despite getting starts in both Tests, the 37-year-old has been riddled with some body blows from fast bowling. Notably, he was also hit on the helmet in the first Test and faced a concussion scare. Later, he admitted that he feels anxious about concussions since the Jofra Archer delivery hit him on the neck in 2019.

Nonetheless, from how the Australian middle-order has performed thus far in the series, Smith performing well will be instrumental. The visitors last won a series in Australia in 2014, and with some key tours coming up as well, it will be a good time for Smith to shine and pull Australia back into the series.