Australia will give key batter Steve Smith as much time as possible to ⁠prove his fitness ahead of the third and final Test against South Africa at Newlands, captain Pat Cummins said.

Smith ⁠injured his neck in ⁠South Africa’s ​innings and 31-run victory in the second Test in Gqeberha which levelled the series at 1-1 going into the decider in ⁠Cape Town starting on Tuesday.

“Hopefully, it all goes well and he’ll be there,” Cummins said. “But we just want to wait for ⁠that last piece of the puzzle [before naming a team].”

Cummins said Cameron Green would bat “preferably ​in the middle order”, which will likely ‌mean Matt Renshaw opening ‌with Travis Head after Nic Maddinson was dropped from the squad.

For Smith, it would ‌be a return to the scene of his darkest day after his role as captain in the “Sandpapergate” scandal that rocked Australian cricket in 2018.

“He’s been awesome this tour,” Cummins said. “In the last couple of years, probably particularly the last 12 months, it feels like he’s in a really good place and he’s enjoying his cricket.

“He’s getting ‌himself out [and about], whether it is playing golf or going for coffee club every morning. He’s been super invested in what’s going on and ​very helpful for me out in the middle.”

Smith has averaged a little over 20 in four innings with the bat and took a blow to the head in the first Test, before injuring his neck in the second.

“He looks in total control of how he’s ⁠going about his work. He’s one of the greatest batters we’ve ever ​had. You don’t play ​100 odd Tests without matches ​where you’re not 100% fit,” Cummins said.

Marnus Labuschagne’s ability to soak up pressure against the new ball and help the batters around him appears likely to give him one more chance.

Labuschagne’s selection has remained the key talking point ahead of the third Test against the Proteas, after his run of innings without a century extended to 47.

The Queenslander has scored between 30 and 49 in six of his past nine innings, while his career average over the past 37 Tests is half what it was in his first 30.

Australia have made no secret of their frustration with that, with Pat Cummins last week admitting 30s “aren’t going to win too many matches”.

By the same token, Australia do believe Labuschagne is getting through the hard period and batting well, before a psychological issue around the 30s.

“The focus is on hundreds. I don’t think I’m in a position to defend the performance,” chief selector George Bailey said. “But in terms of the collective, there’s been times where that’s helped. And that’s the question we keep asking ourselves.

“We’re seeing some good things, yes. Is there a block at the moment around 30s? Yes. He’s still contributing in terms of his ability to get through a number of balls. So it’s a decision around what does that look like if it gets through there.

“And what does it look like for the collective around and how everyone else, is it helping others around him. Is it helping the team get a result?”