Australia v South Africa second Test LIVE: Australia hope for quick wickets to keep Proteas under pressure

19 Oct 2026, 07:22 by Jon Pierik, Daniel Brettig · WAtoday

3.23pm

Rabada ready to roll

By Daniel Brettig

Kagiso Rabada has spoken about resuming his battle with Steve Smith, eight years after the shoulder brush at St George's Park that pushed the infamous 2018 series to boiling point.

Passed fit to play after a hamstring injury, Rabada shapes as South Africa’s best chance of getting back into the series after going 1-0 down in Durban. He was instrumental in series wins over Australia in 2016 and two years later played a starring role with nine wickets in the Test Championship final at Lord’s last year.

South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada.

Pivotal will be his duel with Smith, who was struck heavily on the helmet by Anrich Nortje at Kingsmead but subsequently passed concussion tests. In 2018, Rabada had nudged shoulders with Smith after taking his wicket here, initially copping an ICC ban for physical contact then being cleared to play on appeal, a sequence that infuriated Smith and the touring team ahead of the fateful Newlands Test.

Smith has been made unavailable for media interviews so far on this tour.