There was one thing distinctly completely different about Steve Smith on the opening day of the primary Check in opposition to South Africa in Brisbane.
The standard extravagant leaves exterior off stump have been nonetheless there, as was the Aussie star’s meticulous, fidgety routine earlier than taking guard.
However when Smith fielded on the Gabba, he did so in a model new Saggy Inexperienced.
Steve Smith took to the sphere in Brisbane sporting a model new Saggy Inexperienced on Saturday
The previous Australian captain got here beneath fireplace within the second Check in opposition to the West Indies in Adelaide final week after donning a Saggy Inexperienced that appeared near disintegrating.
Smith subsequently revealed that his cap was so badly broken as a result of rodents gnawed away at it whereas he was enjoying in Sri Lanka throughout July’s take a look at sequence.
‘I left it in a single day within the change room in Galle like I do in all places and turned up subsequent day and rats had acquired to it, I believe,’ he informed The Australian.
The 33-year-old is not the primary Australian to put on his Saggy Inexperienced long gone it has began wanting worse for put on.
His cap had appeared decidedly worse for put on final week within the Check in opposition to the West Indies
Steve Waugh was famously the primary participant to take the sphere with a cap in very poor situation, whereas icons like Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer had dishevelled inexperienced caps that have been actually falling aside on the ultimate day of their Check careers.
‘I by no means contemplated changing it simply because it had aged. I noticed the stains, tears, fading and fraying as badges of honour, every imperfection telling a narrative,’ Waugh stated.
Within the Nineteen Nineties Waugh launched the observe of getting former gamers handing out the prized cap to debutants, after Mark Taylor created the custom of marking gamers’ Check debut for Australia by handing them the Saggy Inexperienced.
Ricky Ponting’s famously cap needed to be repaired a number of instances, together with when the height fell off, with new rips and tears showing via to his closing Check 10 years in the past.
Smith made 38 in Australia’s first innings earlier than being bowled by Anrich Nortje with 10 minutes left to play within the day
‘I have never acquired one piece of cricket memorabilia up in my home wherever, however that is clearly a bit extra particular than the remainder of it,’ he stated throughout his closing Check.
‘It’d want some renovating or one thing achieved to it. It has been achieved up a few instances through the years already. So we’ll see what occurs with it.’
Smith’s debut in his model new headgear was a blended bag.
The previous Australia captain took two catches because the hosts skittled South Africa out for 152, dismissing Kyle Verreynne off the bowling of Nathan Lyon and Keshav Maharaj off the bowling of Mitchell Starc.
Mitchell Starc took 3-41 as Australia bowled out South Africa for 152 on Day One in Brisbane
Smith made 38 in Australia’s first innings and put up on a 117-run partnership with Travis Head, earlier than being bowled by Anrich Nortje with 10 minutes left to play within the day.
Head hit an unbeaten 78 from solely 77 balls with Australia going to stumps at 5-145 after that they had collapsed to 3-27.
Earlier, Starc took 3-41 as Australia ripped via the vacationers’ batting line-up on a inexperienced monitor on the Gabba. However the star fast should wait to grow to be the seventh Australia to succeed in 300 Check wickets after beginning the match 4 shy of the milestone.
