Australia push panic button ahead of third Test; release opener from squad, Steve Smith uncertain

Australia have released 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 issue. The three-match series is level at 1-1.Maddinson and back-up wicketkeeper Sam Harper have been allowed to return to Australia to play in the Sheffield Shield, with Cameron Green and Josh Inglis fit again and available for selection.Maddinson's release is expected to open the door for Matt Renshaw to return to the opening position, with Green also likely to come back into the side. Australia are still weighing up their best combination for the series decider.The team is not expected to be announced until the toss on Tuesday, with Smith's fitness still a concern.Maddinson's departure comes after he scored 0, 48, 0 and 8 in his four innings following 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, helping Australia win the match while Green was unavailable.“Performance wise, would you like more runs? Yes, so that’s OK,” chief selector George Bailey said.“Did it allow us to set the rest of the team up the way we wanted to, whilst we were working with the group we had? Yes.“We always talk about what do we see when we see players at our best. I think we saw a glimpse of that in the second innings in Durban.“With him going home, we wanted to be clear to him he wasn’t a stop-gap.“The same reasons and process we worked through to get him here will be the same questions we ask across the whole summer.”Australia must also decide whether to retain Marnus Labuschagne, who has not scored a century since the 2023 Ashes.The No. 3 has made 37, 37, 14 and 39 in the ongoing series.ALSO READ - From outranking the Fab Four to fight for his place: Rise, reign and the 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 at the moment around 30s? Yes,” Bailey said of Labuschagne.“Still contributing with his ability to get through a number of balls.“So it’s a decision around what does it look like he gets through there? And is it helping others around him and helping the team get a result we ultimately want?”Labuschagne's place could also depend on Smith's fitness. The experienced No. 4 spent only 20 minutes facing throwdowns in the nets on Sunday as he continued his recovery from the neck issue.Smith was expected to face faster bowling during Monday's training session, with Australia confident he would be ready to play when they return to Newlands for the series decider.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.