Graeme Smith Recalls Chilling Tale Of Batting With A Broken Hand At No. 11 To Save The Test

Jun 12, 2022 at 1:08 PM

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Graeme Smith Recalls Chilling Tale Of Batting With A Broken Hand At No. 11 To Save The Test

Graeme Smith famously batted with a broken hand in an effort to save the Test during the third and final match of the series against Australia in Sydney. He couldn’t save the Test, but Proteas had already won the series.

Former South Africa cricketer Graeme Smith is widely regarded as one of the best captains in Test history.  The left-handed batter holds the record for appearing in most Tests as captain, leading the Proteas in 109 games, winning 53.

While South Africa had many memorable wins under his captaincy, the 2-1 victory against Australia in the 3 Test match series Down Under in 2008/09 remains special for the side as it was South Africa’s first-ever Test series win in the country.

Graeme Smith Image Source : ICC
Graeme Smith Image Source: ICC

Graeme Smith Recalled Tale Of Batting With A Broken Hand As A No. 11 Batter

Australia had won the final Test of the series in Sydney, but it is largely remembered for Graeme Smith’s heroic effort in the second innings of the game. During the first innings, a short-pitched delivery from Mitchell Johnson hit Graeme Smith’s gloves, resulting in a broken hand and an injured elbow.

Graeme Smith was forced to retire hurt and didn’t bat in the second innings until the fall of the ninth wicket. While many believed that Australia had won the game, Graeme Smith surprised the Aussie side as he made his way into the ground, and received thunderous applause from the fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The former South African captain revisited the chilling tale of how he decided to battle the immense pain in his hand to play as a no.11 batter in the game.

“2009 was just an incredible moment and it wasn’t planned at all. I was packed and ready to go home. I had no playing clothing on the ground. We had won in Australia for the first time ever, it was an incredible time, and we were fighting to save the Test on a deteriorating wicket.

“I remember looking at the guys in the afternoon, they fought so hard. Makhaya was the last man standing and I was sitting there thinking, ‘he looks kinda lonely!’” Smith recalled during an interaction.

Graeme Smith reacts after being hit on his left arm, Australia v South Africa, 3rd Test, 2nd day, Sydney, January 4, 2009 @PA Photos
Graeme Smith reacts after being hit on his left arm, Australia v South Africa, 3rd Test, 2nd day, Sydney, January 4, 2009 @PA Photos

“I was thinking, ‘should I? or should I not?’ My hand was in a cast. I went inside and spoke to Mickey Arthur, he was 100 percent yes (should bat). The physio was 100 percent no (shouldn’t bat). The psychologist stood on the fence, giving me the best of both worlds. Eventually, I committed myself to doing it. I went back to the change room.”

“I said I’m going to do it. Neil McKenzie came over to help me, I had broken my right knuckle and they did a proper job of casting my hand. I stole Jacques Kallis’ whites, I had nothing on the ground. I was packed and ready to fly. It was pretty cold and I looked for a jumper, I grabbed Paul Harris’. Neil McKenzie put the right and left pads.”

Graeme Smith recalled that when he was ready to go, it struck him – how was he actually going to bat?

“The next minute, they were taking the cast off. I was ready to go. Now, it suddenly hit me, ‘how am I actually going to do this? I can’t hold the bat! I was thinking, ‘how do I play the short ball?’” said Smith.

“Then I just thought, ‘there’s no right way to do this. I just have to clear my head, hopefully, my body reacts the right way and deals with the pain’. I was walking out to bat, Makhaya was waiting for me and it was the first and only time in my career that he was my senior batting partner! Just incredible,” Smith signed off.

Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith copped a nasty blow on his hand and ended up breaking it off a nasty Mitchell Johnson delivery while opening the innings in the first essay of a Test match against a formidable Australian side.

Following several inspections and multiple treatments, the stalwart courageously walked out to bat at No. 11 amidst excruciating pain in the final innings to try and ensure a draw. Though the southpaw couldn’t take his team to safety with a fractured hand, he entered the unique group of cricketers to have opened the innings as well as batted at the eventual position of the batting order in the same match and was universally praised for his bravery.

South Africa Won The Australia Test Series In 2008/09 After JP Duminy, Graeme Smith, And AB de Villiers’ Heroics With The Bat And Dale Steyn With The Ball

Australia had not lost a Test series at home since 1992/93 when Graeme Smith’s South Africa arrived in 2008. That record didn’t look to be at risk when they set South Africa a target of 414 – just four runs fewer than the highest successful chase of all time – to win on a cracking WACA deck.

Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn Photograph:Christiaan Kotze/AFP/Getty Images

Carried by centuries from Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers, the Proteas pulled it off with six wickets to spare as JP Duminy impressed with an unbeaten 50 under pressure on debut. A Test later and Australia’s unbeaten series run at home came to an end as Dale Steyn took twin five-fors at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and JP Duminy scored a brilliant 166. This time around the Proteas only had to chase down a target of 183.

Australia went on to take out the final Test at Sydney – a match that will always be remembered for the sight of Graeme Smith walking out to bat at No.11 with a broken hand. Australia won that Test by 103 runs but South Africa won the series 2-1 as a result of winning the first 2 Tests at Perth and Melbourne.

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