Unlikely Mr Smith steps up to foil Proteas again

STEVE Smith could be a man who pitches up to do something useful, like unblock a toilet. Or that bloody good bloke who is a friend of your mate’s, but whom you never have much to say to.

He does not look like someone who should, all things being equal, keep Michael Clarke out of the Australian team. All things, of course, are not equal and the Australian captain will return when he has overcome his hamstring injury.

Neither would SA have imagined Smith could loom as the single major reason the Australians will return to the No 1 one-day international ranking if they win the last match of the series in Sydney today.

Considering his flinty batting in Melbourne on Friday, when he was at the crease from the 11th over until the penultimate ball of the match in the 49th to score 104 and guide the Aussies to the victory that clinched the series, Smith also does not look like a man with a hip injury.

But he does have one, and that may yet keep him from playing today. That would be a small mercy for a SA team who also put up with Smith scoring an unbeaten 73 in Canberra on Wednesday to win another game for Australia.

Not only does Smith not look like a star, he refuses to sound like one. “I was just lucky to be there at the other end, knocking them about,” Smith said of sharing a century stand with Matthew Wade in scoring his ton.

But he revealed himself to be Australian after all when he was asked how it felt to take the series away from SA.

“It was very important for us. SA are a very good lineup, and to play the way we have and beat them has been very satisfying for us.”

SA, meanwhile, made four changes for Friday’s game. One of them was forced — Robin Peterson for Imran Tahir, who has sprained a knee — while leaving out Rilee Rossouw is hardly a surprise.

But not often when a series is on the line will SA opt not to unleash Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, as they did on Friday.

Of those who played in their places, Kyle Abbott is the most deserving of a game today. He does not look like a man who has come to unblock a toilet.

He looks like a winner, and even if that does not matter any more in this series, SA could do with remembering what that feels like without having to bowl to Steve Smith.