South Africa needed 72 more runs to save the first Test when Graeme Smith — their captain — came to the crease with a broken left hand, batting one-handed to guide South Africa to a draw over the final 56 balls.
South Africa were chasing a draw in the first Test against Australia in Durban. Their hand had been broken by a Mitchell Johnson delivery in the first innings. Smith had declared the Test match over for him personally — but when the ninth wicket fell and 72 were still needed, he came back.
South Africa were 204/9 in their second innings, needing 407 to win and desperate for a draw. Jean-Paul Duminy was batting with no partner. Smith, his left hand broken and strapped, came out despite advice from the medical team.
Smith batted with his left hand barely gripping the handle — he was effectively batting one-handed. He defended, he nudged, he occasionally hit through the off side. Duminy farmed the strike. Together they batted 56 balls.
With 2 overs remaining, South Africa were safe. They had survived. Smith's contribution was 7 runs off 31 balls — statistically modest, physically extraordinary. The crowd at Kingsmead gave him a standing ovation when he walked off.
Mitchell Johnson, who had broken the hand in the first innings, said afterward he had never seen such courage from an opponent on a cricket field.
Smith coming to the crease with a broken left hand — one-handed batting
The 56-ball stand with Duminy — South Africa hold on
Match drawn — Smith's physical courage the defining story
January 2, 2009
Smith's hand broken by Mitchell Johnson in first innings
January 4, 2009
South Africa 204/9 — Smith comes to crease with broken hand
56 balls later
South Africa save the match — Smith 7 off 31, Duminy unbeaten
South Africa drew the first Test but lost the second. The series drew 1-1. Smith's hand healed and he went on to captain South Africa for another five years, leading them to the world's top Test ranking. He was the longest-serving captain in South African cricket history.
Cricket has produced many courageous batting performances — but batting with a broken hand, one-handed, to save a Test match when nobody expected you to come to the crease, is among the most extreme acts of sporting courage the game has seen.
The Durban stand is cited in every discussion of cricket courage alongside Pujara's 211 balls against Australia in 2021. Smith's willingness to put his physical health at risk for a Test result became emblematic of his captaincy style.
Australia vs West Indies
1960-12-14
The first tied Test in 86 years of cricket history — Australia and West Indies finished level on 737 runs each after five days of breathless cricket in Brisbane, producing one of the most dramatic finishes the game has ever seen.
India vs Australia
1986-09-22
Twenty-six years after Brisbane, cricket produced only its second tied Test — Dean Jones's heroic 210 through crippling heat and Dean Jones's fever, Ravi Shastri's unbeaten 48 and India needing 2 off the last over, only for Maninder Singh to be out lbw off the final ball.
Australia vs South Africa
1999-06-17
Lance Klusener smashed Australia to the brink of elimination, then ran out Allan Donald off the penultimate ball to tie the match — but Australia advanced to the final on superior run rate, ending South Africa's greatest World Cup campaign in devastating fashion.