During the final test match of the series between South Africa and Australia, the home crowd offered Nathan Lyon sandpaper, reminding the veteran of the controversial incident. Lyon was fielding by the boundary
rope, and one of the fans asked the spinner if he wanted it. The Australian spinner gave in to the teasing by asking the fan to jump the fence to give him the sandpaper. The South African fans wouldn’t have moved on from the controversial incident in 2018, where three players of the Australian side were found guilty of ball-tampering. Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner were the players involved, and they faced terrible consequences.
In March 2018, Australia toured South Africa for a four-match Test series, and it was one of the most humiliating moments for Australian cricket. During the 3rd test match of the series, the umpires observed the strange behaviour of the ball and Faf du Plessis was caught off guard. The Australian pacers were able to generate a huge amount of reverse swing with the old ball, and the umpires decided to take a look. Then, Cameron Bancroft was seen to be using sandpaper to tamper with the ball and retain the shine. Consequently, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft admitted to the planning behind the action, with David Warner being the main instigator.
South African crowd offering sandpaper to Nathan Lyon 😭 https://t.co/zvnRHJ480W
— Pushkar (@Musafirr_hu_yar) October 28, 2026
Renshaw-Green partnership steadies the ship for Australia despite early blows
The sandpaper incident left an indelible mark on the legacy of Australian cricket, and it attracted a lot of criticism from the cricket world. Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner were suspended from the game with immediate effect, and the players issued public apologies. The woes of the incident didn’t end with the suspension period, as fans booed Steve Smith upon his return. The controversial incident that took place in 2018 continues to haunt the Australian side, with the South African crowd reminding them of the horrific sandpaper incident.
On Day 2 of the final Test match of the series between Australia and South Africa, the visitors faced two early setbacks. Simon Harmer struck twice in his opening over, with the wickets of Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne. Then, Matt Renshaw and Cameron Green continued to steady the innings for Australia with a century-run partnership for the third wicket. However, Marco Jansen single-handedly ruined the plans of the visitors by dismissing both Green and Renshaw in quick succession. Australia have managed to reduce the deficit by a decent margin and they would be keen on closing in on the lead of South Africa.
South Africa would be looking to pick up some more quick wickets, especially with a partnership brewing between Josh Inglis and Alex Carey. Jansen and Harmer have been amongst the wickets and they would need to deliver to give the hosts with a solid chance. On the other hand, Australia would be looking to take the lead in the match, with plenty of batting power to come down the order.
