Quick hits: Maddinson makes historic 33-ball duck as Aussie batters flounder

Nic Maddinson's unlikely Test return has ended with a historic duck as Australia's battered floundered despite a South African DRS debacle.

Here are the quick hits from the opening day of the first Test between Australia and South Africa.

1. Maddinson makes historic duck on return

With almost a decade having passed since the last of his three Test appearances, veteran opener Nic Maddinson could have been forgiven for thinking his days in Australian whites were over.

But after being parachuted into the squad earlier this week, the 34-year-old's sensational return to the Test arena was cemented at the toss in Durban, with Pat Cummins confirming Maddinson would be the replacement for the injured Cameron Green.

In an even bigger surprise, he was in line to open his side's innings, with the also recently recalled Matt Renshaw dropping down the order.

Maddinson did not play at all in the last Sheffield Shield season, with his last First Class appearance having come back in March 2025.

And with Australia winning the toss and batting, he was put to the test immediately.

Maddinson looked both nervy and underdone in his drought-breaking Test knock, unable to get off the mark during his first 32 balls before being dismissed by his 33rd, the New South Welshman chopping onto his stumps off the bowling of Marco Jansen.

Unfortunately for Maddinson, it was a historic return as well as a miserable one, his 33-ball effort setting a new record for the longest duck by an Aussie opener in Test cricket.

Overall, it was the second-longest no score by an Australian in the history of the format, only behind Mark Whitney's 42-ball 0 in 1981.

2. South Africa in DRS debacle

Only minutes earlier, Maddinson had been gifted a huge slice of luck.

With the opener swinging across the line wildly, a Wiaan Mulder delivery thudded into his front pad. There was a big appeal, but umpire Richard Kettlebrough was unmoved.

South African captain Temba Bavuma indicated Maddinson had gotten some bat on ball and opted against the first review of the series.

And there certainly were two noises but replays showed Maddinson's willow had gotten nowhere near the ball, instead clipping his pad.

The South Africans watched the big screen ruefully as it showed the three reds that would have sent Maddinson back to the pavilion.

It was an unconvincing start for the South Africans as far DRS was concerned, with Bavuma also burning two reviews on appeals that didn't have a whole lot going for them.

First, Marnus Labuschagne survived a referral on a ball that swung too sharply and was projected to be missing leg stump.

Then, the hosts wasted a second review when a steepling Marco Jansen delivery caught Renshaw on the arm. The ball had looped up to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne, who took a simple catch, and the South Africans were convinced it had brushed the Australian's glove.

It hadn't.

The replays showed Jansen had found nothing but arm guard and the hosts had just one review remaining.

3. Labuschagne departs on stroke of lunch

It was a gut-wrenching end to an innings of serious promise for Labuschagne.

The Queenslander, so desperately in need of a score to get his Test career back on track, reached the final over of the morning session on 37 and with one eye on kicking on after the first break.

He was able to see off the first five balls of the set, but fell on its last.

Angling into the right-hander, Mulder was able to sneak one past Labuschagne's outside edge and into the front pad.

It looked touch and go whether the ball made impact in-line with the stumps, but the umpire's finger was up.

Labuschagne didn't look overly hopeful sending the decision upstairs, but DRS showed how close he was to getting outside the line of off stump, with the Australian only having to leave the field because of the umpire's original call.

It is not the kind of luck you need when you've gone more than three years without a Test century.

4. Smith makes anticlimactic entrance

With all that had been made of Steve Smith's return to the country his Test career had so shockingly unravelled eight years earlier, the understated reception he received when entering the game felt at least a little anticlimactic.

There was no chorus of boos from the few spectators in place for the morning session as Smith joined Labuschagne at the crease, tasked with steadying the Australian innings with both Maddinson and Head back in the sheds.

And Smith began his innings like he had so often in the past: fidgety, idiosyncratic and paranoid, but set on getting himself into the game.

After seeing off the opening pace barrage, Smith stamped his authority on the morning with two big sixes back over the head of spinner Keshav Maharaj in the space of four balls.

Smith made it to lunch, but only lasted three balls after the first break.

He was struck on the finger by a rearing Marco Jansen length ball, before edging the very next delivery through to the slips.

Smith was out for 25 and Australia had lost two wickets in four balls either side of the lunch break.

5. Bad light robs Renshaw of drought-breaking milestone

Coming in at number five, Renshaw was a bright spot in an otherwise dark day for the Australian batters.

The southpaw watched on as South African spearhead Anrich Nortje removed Alex Carey and Beau Webster in the space of three balls, and looked supremely confident in his new home in the middle order. 

He made his way to 46 before bad light ended the day with over an hour left of scheduled play and just 65.2 overs bowled.

Renshaw will begin day two four runs away from his first Test 50 in more than 3,500 days, tasked with continuing to rebuild Australia's innings alongside Cummins.