Smith has received many a standing ovation in his spectacular ascendance to the summit of the Test arena. At Newlands on Sunday, the reception was of a very different kind.

Deposed as Australian captain less than six hours before the 28-year-old walked to the middle of the ground at 4.12pm local time, he was booed from the moment he emerged at the top of the stairs beneath the players' balcony until he arrived to take strike.

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When, a mere 29 minutes and seven runs later, he made the same journey back, there was more of the same.

David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, the other Australian players tied up in the ball-tampering crisis that has rocked the sport, were also received with hostility by the crowd and given send-offs from spectators as they walked up the stairs to the dressing room after scores of 32 and 26 respectively.

Most of the attention was saved for Smith, however, who after enduring the humiliation of standing aside from the Australian leadership also completed his worst series as a Test batsman since his debut in 2010.

Smith, of course, has more pressing concerns than his modest tally of runs – 142 at an average of 23.66 – over the past month.

Nor is the fact that Australia have gone behind in the series with one Test to play the biggest problem confronting him.

The match had gone one on but it was a mere sideshow to the escalating drama off the pitch.
The Australians, led out by acting captain Tim Paine, had appeared mentally shot from the start.

Celebrations were muted when South African wickets were claimed earlier in the day as the Proteas were bowled out for 373 in their second innings, setting Australia 430 to win.

The crestfallen Smith and Warner, stripped of their designations and their dignity, were downcast, going through the motions. Teammates were much the same.

Up in the radio commentary box in the North Stand, the ABC's iconic broadcaster Jim Maxwell, who has called Test cricket for more than 40 years, was moved to tears as he described proceedings.

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There was momentary respite from the misery when Nathan Lyon collected his 300th Test wicket after lunch, a fine achievement that on any other day would have been deservingly applauded far and wide.

Pat Cummins, who had produced such a memorable first-innings spell, also finished up with eight wickets.

Yet the third Test of this series was one that was effectively over as as a contest once the disgraceful events of its third day had come to light, a match to be completed simply because of obligation to the hosts, South Africa.

A couple of hours before play on Sunday, it had not been certain to continue. Surely, the small chance that the Australian team could go on and win the Test could not be left open?

As it turned out, that was a dire scenario that became more distant by the minute.

Set the task of scoring 430 runs or surviving nearly five sessions to avoid defeat, Australia's resistance in their second innings was short-lived and they were bowled out for 107.