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Anxiety the biggest hurdle after head blow, says Steve Smith

Australian batsman Steve Smith faced an unexpected challenge during the first Test against South Africa in Durban when a delivery from Anrich Nortje struck his helmet during the fifth ball of the 13th over in Australia’s second innings. The impact, though not immediately severe, left Smith visibly shaken, and he was assessed on-field before resuming his innings.

Despite the blow, Smith scored 27 runs off 41 balls before being dismissed, contributing to Australia’s total and their eventual 214-run victory in the match. However, the physical impact extended beyond the immediate moment, with Smith later revealing that anxiety became the most significant hurdle following the incident.

He described lingering concerns about potential concussion symptoms, which affected his performance for the remainder of the day and added psychological pressure as he waited to see if symptoms would develop overnight. Smith was later cleared of concussion after medical evaluations and returned to the field on day five, where he made an immediate impact by taking a catch to dismiss Kyle Verreynne.

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