Former captain Steve Smith's reputation has taken a battering, leaving his career in jeopardy, and the result was just the latest blow in a tumultuous 24 hours. Smith, suspended by the ICC for the final Test of the series starting in Johannesburg on Friday, won't be seen in a Test for Australia until October at the earliest – and it is unclear in what capacity. He did not exactly get a friendly send-off. 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. Loading 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.

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 scandalous ball-tampering affair, were also received with hostility by the crowd and given rough goodbyes from spectators as they walked up the stairs to the dressing room after scores of 32 and 26 respectively. However, most of the attention was saved for Smith, 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 fallen behind in the series with one Test to play the biggest problem confronting him.

The match had gone 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. “It was extremely difficult," Paine said. "That’s no excuse for what you saw in the last 45 minutes. We are still the Australian cricket team and we are expected to put up a better effort than what we did today. It was in some trying circumstances and probably circumstances we brought on ourselves. David Warner in action on Sunday before being sent back to the dressing room by a chorus of boos. Credit:AP "Unfortunately we fell apart in a really ordinary manner which only rubbed salt into the wounds of what's been a horrible 24 hours for us."

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. Loading 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. 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, finished 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 finished because of obligation to the hosts, South Africa. Loading A couple of hours before play on Sunday, it was not certain that it would 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.