Smith gets familiar as Elgar picks at 'old scars'

Australia talisman Steve Smith believes his two testing showdowns with South Africa's quicks on a dicey Gabba pitch will prove highly beneficial for him through the remainder of the three-Test series.

Smith was one of four Australians to lose their wicket in a remarkable final passage of play on day two at the Gabba, as Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje produced a fiery burst which their skipper Dean Elgar said was part of the visitors' late bid to "open some old scars … (and have) those batters going into Melbourne with maybe a little bit less confidence".

The 33-year-old Australian however, is viewing matters differently. Despite boasting a stunning overall Test record – he averages 60.41 in 90 matches – Smith made no secret leading into this series he feels he has under-performed against the Proteas, having now returned just one hundred in 19 innings.

But a fine first-innings 36 from 68 balls on the afternoon of day one, which formed the decisive partnership of the match with Travis Head (92), has given Smith not only the belief big runs are again close at hand, but a valuable look at an attack that was hitherto largely unfamiliar to him.

Aside from Rabada, Smith has only played against spinner Keshav Maharaj in more than one Test (in the second match of the 2018 series, he faced 18 balls from Lungi Ngidi). In white-ball cricket he has faced all but left-armer Marco Jansen, while he has also played alongside Nortje and Rabada with Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League.

None of which prepared him for the assaults of pace and bounce he received on days one and two on a treacherous wicket.

"It was challenging – they're quality bowlers," he told cricket.com.au. "Nortje was getting it through at some serious pace last night. Rabada just did what he's done for years. Ngidi's a quality bowler and Jansen, I thought he bowled really nicely as well.

"It was a nice partnership that we were able to form there ... (Head) just took the game on really, it was that kind of wicket if you just sat there and tried to defend, you're not going to last very long, so anything in his areas he went after (and) I was much the same – trying to do the same thing – and fortunately we were able to get a few away

"I felt really good the first innings. I thought I played really nicely. I got a pretty good ball to get me out, which sometimes you can't do too much about, on these wickets in particular.

"But I feel good. Fingers crossed for a better wicket to bat on (in Melbourne) and we'll see how we go."

Smith fell for six in the chaotic fourth-innings run chase, edging a short and wide ball from Rabada that he lamented not having hit "over the top for six", and while the Australian remained upbeat about his form, Elgar claimed the hostile new-ball spell that resulted in four Rabada wickets was a psychological win heading into the Boxing Day Test.

"It was to try and see if we can open some old scars," the South African said. "Purely to bring in our intensity and maybe get them three or four down and those batters go to Melbourne with maybe less confidence.

"It worked out nicely … it was one of the game plans that worked out for us over the last two days. I can't say there were many."

Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v South Africa

First Test: Australia won by six wickets

Dec 26-30: Second Test, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Jan 4-8: Third Test, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

South Africa squad: Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Eree, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo

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