Whatever happened to Steven Smith on this tour of South Africa, nothing would have compared to the dramatic, and traumatic, events of eight years previous. But, despite a brilliant catching display in Durban and passing the 11,000-run landmark, it still hasn't been the happiest couple of weeks for him with a combination of fired up South Africa quicks, a concussion scare and a troublesome neck.
It started promisingly on the opening day at Kingsmead as he reached lunch on 25 but straight after the interval was struck on the glove by a vicious lifter from Marco Jansen then edged the next ball to gully. In the second innings he eased to 27 but shortly before lofting Simon Harmer to long-on he had been struck on the helmet by Anrich Nortje.
Smith continued batting at the time but then spent the rest of the day off the field undergoing concussion checks. He passed them all, although he later admitted his history of head knocks had been on his mind.
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"Yeah, I was a little bit anxious to be honest after the hit," Smith told Kayo Sports before the opening day of the second Test. "I've had a few in the past and had a few concussions, and you know, I really don't like the way that makes me feel. And I think [there was] just the anxiety around it after I got hit."
Then this week in Gqeberha, Smith was hampered by a neck injury which restricted him in the first innings, when he top-scored but was unable to arrest Australia's collapse to 99 all out, then forced him down the order in the second where he batted at No. 7 in the follow-on
Although Pat Cummins said Smith was "fine" when he did bat on the final day, he looked far from settled. He got away with a thick edge against Wiaan Mulder, which Ryan Rickelton couldn't gather up to the stumps, before an uncharacteristically wild pull against Kagiso Rabada which he spliced to midwicket and all but confirmed South Africa would emerge victorious. The new ball was two overs old and it was just the second delivery Smith had faced from Rabada in the innings.
Smith vs Rabada had a delayed start in this series when Rabada missed the first Test with a hamstring injury. South Africa's attack leader came out on top on its resumption. There was an absorbing 22-ball contest in the first innings during which Rabada pushed the speed gun over 150kph. Smith took Rabada for two off-side boundaries but also edged one short of second slip, which is when his neck problems appeared to get worse. He then almost threw himself off his feet playing and missing a wild drive.
Smith's average from the first two Tests of 20.75 is currently his third-lowest for any series, behind the tour to New Zealand in 2023-24, when he was briefly an opener, and a lean couple of outings against Pakistan in 2019-20 where he only batted twice and got pad-rash waiting behind David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne. How Australia would wish for that now. Smith has only once gone through a series of at least three matches without a half-century, on the 2022-23 tour of India.
Cummins said there were no doubts about Smith's availability for the final Test. And across a 127-match career, where he averages 55.29, the last two outings are small blips. But a fragile Australia batting order, which could undergo changes and a reshuffle for the decider, needs him to be at his best to ward off the threat of Rabada, Jansen and, perhaps somewhat more surprisingly, the challenge of Mulder.
Before the second Test, Cummins was asked the well-established question about how much longer Smith will play on for, given the series-by-series talk has done the rounds again in recent times.
"In my head, it's probably not as big of a deal as what it's made out," he said. "I think a lot of people have a grand exit and plan it years in ahead. I think where he's at, and I totally get it, is 'I don't really want to think that far ahead'. And that doesn't necessarily mean that something's imminent. I think it means he's in a really good place.
"He's got other things going on in his life and 12 months can be a long time in a sporting career, so I don't think you need to read into it any more than that. I think he's batting really well [and] catching really well. He seems to be enjoying himself around the group. So hopefully he's playing for a lot longer. But any conversation that I have isn't for a big grand exit that's very well planned ahead."
There is no suggestion that two tricky Tests will have any dramatic consequences to whatever plans Smith does have. For the here and now, Australia have arrived in Cape Town, the scene of where they were sent into freefall with Smith at the helm, again tied at 1-1.
It's not the first time Smith has been back to Newlands since, having played a T20I in 2020, and he also experienced a thrilling series-clinching victory here in 2014, but if there is to be a redemption arc narrative to this tour, Australia will hope it comes next week.