Nic Maddinson's 33-ball duck makes unwanted history during Australia vs South Africa Test

Dubai: Australia opener Nic Maddinson endured a frustrating return to Test cricket after being dismissed for a duck off 33 balls against South Africa in the opening Test in Durban on Friday.

Maddinson’s innings came to an end after Marco Jansen bowled him, leading to an unwanted record for an Australian opening batter.

According to Code Sports’ Daniel Cherny, Maddinson’s 33-ball duck is the longest duck by an Australian opener in Test history where balls faced data is available. It also happened to be the longest duck by a Test opener in 21st century.

The 34-year-old had played three Tests before Friday, making this his fourth Test, nearly a decade after his previous appearance in the format.

Maddinson’s last Test outing came against Pakistan in December 2016. He made his debut against South Africa earlier that year but struggled to establish himself in the national side.

His return to international cricket is particularly significant after he battled testicular cancer in 2025 and underwent chemotherapy. Maddinson worked his way back into contention before earning a surprise call-up to Australia’s squad for the South Africa series.

The match also marks Australia’s first Test tour of South Africa since the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal, widely known as “Sandpapergate”. The controversy erupted during the third Test in Cape Town, leading to suspensions for Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

Australia have since returned to South Africa for limited-overs cricket, but this is their first Test visit since the incident.

Maddinson’s dismissal added an early setback for Australia as they began a three-Test series against the reigning World Test Championship holders. Even his fellow opener Travis Head lost his wicket prior Maddinson’s duck.