Photo via Hindustan Times

Empty stands, Nic Maddinson faux pas and bad light: How the opening day at Durban turned out to be a damp squib

The highly anticipated first Test between South Africa and Australia at Kingsmead in Durban failed to live up to expectations, marred by a lackluster crowd turnout and a series of missteps. Despite the historic context—Australia’s first tour since the 2018 Sandpapergate scandal involving Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith, and David Warner—the stands were nearly empty, leaving both teams without the usual roaring support.

South Africa’s Temba Bavuma had hoped to celebrate his team’s 2021 World Test Championship final victory with local fans, but the sparse attendance dampened the atmosphere from the start. Australia’s Nic Maddinson, a 34-year-old injury replacement battling testicular cancer, opened the batting after a 7-year Test absence and was dismissed for a duck in just 33 balls, compounding doubts over his selection.

His inclusion had been criticized by former players like Matthew Hayden and Mitchell Johnson, who questioned why he was chosen over more experienced options like Cooper Connolly or Matt Renshaw. The early struggles continued as Australia lost both openers and key batsmen Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne cheaply, with bad light cutting short the day’s play and leaving the visitors in a precarious position.

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