CAPE TOWN, Oct 25 - Australia return to the scene of one of the darkest days in the country’s cricket history when the series-deciding third test against South Africa starts at Newlands on Tuesday.

The battle may be mental as much as one of skill for several of the Australian players, not least former captain Steve Smith, who was at the centre of the Sandpapergate ball-tampering scandal in 2018.

Current skipper Pat Cummins was part of that side, as were fellow seamer Josh Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon, though they say they had no knowledge of the attempt to alter the condition of the ball with a piece of sandpaper.

Smith bore the brunt of the considerable fallout in Australia eight years ago and having not reached the heights he might have expected on this tour, averaging a little over 20 with the bat, he would see this as the perfect time to put that right.

There has so far been little chatter in South Africa about Sandpapergate but that could change at Newlands, where the first three days’ ticket sales have been strong after sparse crowds at the first two tests in Durban and Gqeberha.

"He'll be fine," Australia opener Travis Head said of Smith. "I think he showed that in 2019 in England. We support him. He's been through a lot in that space and handles it well. Sometimes it brings the best out of him, as we've seen in the past."

The series is level at 1-1 after big wins for both sides in the opening two games and Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey told reporters on Sunday that it looked to be another good test-match pitch.

"We are still a couple of days out but it looks another great surface," he said. "If you look back at Durban it was a five-day test match and a great contest between bat and ball. The same in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) and this should be no different."

There has never been a test match played at Newlands in October, and just three in November, all against Australia.

The tourists won the first two in 1902 and 1921, but the most recent November fixture was an eight-wicket victory for South Africa in 2011 when Australia were famously bowled out for 47 in their second innings.

South Africa will be without fast bowler Anrich Nortje, who injured his groin in the second test. Captain Temba Bavuma said they would pick horses for courses in terms of his replacement.

"You’ve got guys like Gerald (Coetzee), Pato (Dane Paterson), as well as (Corbin) Bosch, and we have Sen (Senuran Muthusamy) as well, so the options are there," he said.

"Whoever we decide, we’ll be confident they form part of our best XI for the conditions." REUTERS