Maddinson's 33-ball duck on his Test return leaves Australia reeling on day one in Durban
Nic Maddinson, playing his first Test in almost a decade because Cameron Green was injured, was bowled by Marco Jansen for a duck after 33 balls on day one of the first Test at Kingsmead, the Herald, The Age, Yahoo Sports and Code Sports reported. Code described it as the longest duck by an Australian opener in Tests where balls faced are recorded. Travis Head made 9, and Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne fell within four balls either side of lunch, according to the ABC and Fox Sports. Maddinson was picked ahead of Cooper Connolly in a side whose eleven players were all 30 or older, and captain Pat Cummins defended the selection at the toss. We did not have the close-of-play score.
Code Sports said brittle batting was exposed again, and the selection raises questions about succession in an ageing side.
Day two is today, and the Test runs to Tuesday, so there is time for a recovery.
A comeback after cancer treatment is a story of resilience, and one innings does not define a career.
Selecting an opener who had not played first-class cricket for 579 days, ahead of a younger player, was a risk that has now cost the team.
Watch how many Australia make in the first innings and whether the selectors keep faith with Maddinson in the second.
DailyDrop Australia edition No. 6 · Morning · SAT., OCT. 10, 2026