Australian captain Pat Cummins.

Image: AFP

Australia return to the scene of their 2018 Sandpapergate scandal for the first time in red-ball cricket on Tuesday, when they meet the Proteas in the series-deciding third Test.

It was here at Newlands eight years ago that former opening batter Cameron Bancroft was caught pushing yellow sandpaper down his trousers in a bid to conceal the evidence of ball-tampering.

Bancroft was handed a nine-month ban, while captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner suffered the greater indignity of 12-month suspensions. Smith was also handed a further 24-month leadership ban, while Warner received a lifetime ban from holding any leadership roles within Australian cricket.

The shadow of Table Mountain will therefore always be associated with one of Australian cricket’s most shameful moments, which even drew condemnation from then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, who described it as a “shocking disappointment” and an “affront to Australia”.

Smith, along with captain Pat Cummins, seam bowlers Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, and spinner Nathan Lyon, are the only survivors of the Newlands debacle eight years ago.

Cummins, though, believes that much water has passed under the bridge and that little remains of the fallout from 2018.

“Honestly, not really (spoken about Sandpapergate),” the Australian skipper told the media on Monday.

“I’ve played here a fair few times over the years, and this is where I made my T20 debut. My first-ever Test experience was also here. I was running the drinks, and this was when we got bowled out for 47. That was a wild introduction.

“So, I feel like a lot of the time when I travel around South Africa, it’s my debut tour that brings back a lot of memories rather than the 2018 tour.

“It really hasn’t been spoken about too much this week. Again, we’ve probably got a few reasons not to enjoy this venue. But every time we come here, it’s always just, wow, what an amazing cricket ground.”

Smith has been a doubtful starter for this full-circle Test because of a neck sprain that hampered his batting at St George’s Park.

Temba Bavuma’s been getting a lot of love and tickets requests since that special knock in Gqeberha 😂🇿🇦 #SAvAUS #SSCricket https://t.co/Ow0QbZZ9IO

— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) October 26, 2026

Cummins believes “Smudge” will take his place in the starting XI and is primed to produce a redemption innings.

“I think he’s been batting really well. In that first innings, I thought he looked in total control until he found the outside edge on one ball. From the perspective of a teammate watching from afar, he looks in total control of how he’s going about his work. He’s huge — one of the greatest batters we’ve ever had,” he said.

“You don’t play 100-odd Test matches where you’re not 100% fit. So hopefully that’s the case this week, even though he’s probably not going to be 100%. But hopefully he can compartmentalise that, like he’s done many times before with other things, and come out and contribute like he does every week.

“I think he’s in a really good place. That knock-on in the first Test, I think it knocked him around for a couple of hours, but then straight away the next morning he was back to his normal self and out there.

“So, I don’t really want to speak for him because he’s probably the only one who can answer that. But from all my conversations, he’s been great. He’s been super invested in what’s going on.”

Australia are yet to finalise their team, but Cummins confirmed there was “a 99% chance” that a fit-again Cameron Green would return to the playing XI.