South Africa vs Australia 3rd Test: Cummins bowls first, Smith out

South Africa vs Australia 3rd Test: Pat Cummins won the toss at Newlands in Cape Town on Tuesday, 27 October, and chose to bowl first, with the three-match series level at 1-1. Steve Smith is missing from Australia's XI for the decider.

Key takeaways

• Australia chose to bowl first in the Cape Town decider. Cummins cited moisture in the pitch, according to The Sunday Guardian.
• Steve Smith is out of Australia's XI. SuperSport reported that he failed a late fitness test, and The Sunday Guardian put it down to a neck problem.
• South Africa made one change: Gerald Coetzee replaced the injured Anrich Nortje.
• Play started at 10:30 local time (08:30 UTC), according to Wisden's match centre. The Test was in progress at the time of writing.

What happened at the toss in the South Africa vs Australia 3rd Test

Cummins called correctly before the scheduled 10:30 start (08:30 UTC) at the ground now branded YesPlay Newlands. Australia "elected to bowl first", SuperSport reported. The Sunday Guardian reported that Cummins said there was some moisture in the surface. Wisden's match centre listed the weather as cloudy.

Temba Bavuma said South Africa were comfortable batting first, The Sunday Guardian reported, and he called the pitch a good one with runs on offer. Aiden Markram and Marques Ackerman head South Africa's batting order.

Playing XIs and team changes

Team sheets as reported by SuperSport and The Sunday Guardian on 27 October 2026.

Australia's changes were the bigger story. Smith's absence takes one of their most experienced batters out of the decider. SuperSport reported that opener Nic Maddinson had been released from the squad, so Renshaw moves up to open and Josh Inglis comes into the middle order. Nathan Lyon replaces Scott Boland, which gives Australia a frontline spinner at a ground where, according to SuperSport, spin has averaged more than 50 runs per wicket since 2020.

South Africa kept faith with the side that won in Gqeberha, apart from Coetzee for Nortje, who has a groin injury.

How the series reached 1-1

Australia won the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban by 214 runs. Matt Renshaw scored 190 and Josh Hazlewood took 6 for 49, The Sunday Guardian reported. South Africa answered in the second Test at St George's Park in Gqeberha, winning by an innings and 31 runs. Bavuma made 179, and Marco Jansen's 5 for 33 bowled Australia out for 99 in their first innings, according to SuperSport and The Sunday Guardian.

Results as reported by The Sunday Guardian and SuperSport; dates as listed on the tour's Wikipedia page.

What we know and what we don't know yet

What we know: Australia are bowling first on a cloudy morning. Neither side has Smith or Nortje. A win for either team takes the series, while a draw would leave it shared at 1-1. SuperSport's preview found no draws between the sides in its Newlands record, and noted that Australia have won 10 of their 14 Tests at the ground, and that each side has won two of the last four played there.

What we don't know yet: how long Smith will be out, whether the morning moisture will help Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins as Australia hope, and how the pitch will treat Lyon and Simon Harmer later in the match. The result is not expected before the later days of the five-day Test.

Background

The series is part of the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, with 12 points on offer for a win; each side collected 12 from its victory so far, according to the tour's Wikipedia page. Australia have held the No. 1 Test ranking since May 2024, according to The Sunday Guardian, which reported that a series win would put South Africa back on top for the first time since January 2016. The tour began with three one-day internationals in September, which South Africa won 2-1, according to the same Wikipedia page.

More coverage of both teams is under South Africa Cricket Team, Australia Cricket Team and our trending section.

What it means

For South Africa, Newlands is a chance to beat Australia in a home Test series and to challenge for the top ranking. For Australia, playing without Smith tests how much batting depth they have, and it puts more pressure on Renshaw, Labuschagne and Head. Bowling first suggests Cummins trusts his pace attack to make use of early conditions before the pitch flattens out. If those conditions do not last, Australia will be relying on Lyon to bowl them back into the match later on.