Australia hit panic button ahead of third Test; dismissing the opener from the team, Steve Smith uncertain

Australia have dropped Nic Maddinson from their Test squad ahead of the third and deciding Test against South Africa in Cape Town, while Steve Smith remains uncertain for the match as he continues to deal with a neck problem. The three-match series is tied 1-1.Maddinson and back-up keeper Sam Harper could return to Australia to play in the Sheffield Shield, with Cameron Green and Josh Inglis fit again and available for selection.Maddinson’s dismissal is expected to open the door for Matt Renshaw to return to a starting position, with Green likely to return to the side. Australia are still considering their best combination to decide the series.The squad is not expected to be announced until Tuesday’s draw, with Smith’s fitness still an issue.Maddinson’s departure comes after he scored 0, 48, 0 and 8 in his four innings on a surprise return to the Test side after almost 10 years. However, his selection allowed Renshaw to move into the middle order and score 190 and 81 in Durban to help Australia win the match while Green was unavailable.“In terms of performance, would you like more runs? Yes, that’s fine,” said chief selector George Bailey.“Did it allow us to set up the rest of the team the way we wanted while working with the group we had? Yes.”“We always talk about what we see when we see players at their best. I think we saw that in the second innings in Durban.”“When he came home, we wanted to show him that he was not an obstacle.“The same reasons and the process we worked on to get him here will be the same questions we ask all summer.Australia must also decide whether to retain Marnus Labuschagne, who has not scored a century since the 2023 Ashes.No. 3 has made 37, 37, 14 and 39 in the ongoing streak.ALSO READ – From Surpassing the Great Four to Fighting for Your Place: The Rise, Reign and Unraveling of Marnus LabuschagneInglis, who has recovered from a finger injury, is one option Australia could consider in his place.“We’re seeing some good things, yes. Is there a block in the 30s right now? Yes,” Bailey said of Labuschagne.“He continues to contribute with his ability to get through a range of balls.“So it’s a decision about what does it look like to go through there? And does it help others around him and help the team get the result that we want at the end of the day?”Labuschagne’s place could also depend on Smith’s fitness. The experienced No.4 spent just 20 minutes face-to-face in the nets on Sunday as he continued his recovery from a neck problem.Smith was expected to face the quicker bowling during Monday’s training session and Australia are confident he will be ready to play when he returns to Newlands for the series decider.