MELBOURNE, Dec 23: Graeme Smith, who scored 108 in the stunning first Test victory, will lead South Africa in the second match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia on Friday despite carrying a lingering elbow injury.

The coach Mickey Arthur confirmed on Tuesday that Smith was a certainty for the crucial game after seeing a specialist in Melbourne and having a pain-killing injection. Smith will again be a key man for the tourists after they scored 414 for four in the second innings, securing the second-biggest successful chase in history.

The problem has hampered Smith since the England series in July and Arthur said he would need to decide in the future when to have it fixed.

“At some point we’re going to have to sit down and discuss a plan going forward as to exactly what we do with it,” Arthur told AAP. “But it’s not going to keep him out of this Test match or the next one [in Sydney]. There’s going to be a point, a breakthrough point, where we’re going to have to make some sort of a decision.”

South Africa’s other injury concern is Ashwell Prince, who broke a thumb in the lead-up to the Perth Test. Arthur said Prince had an x-ray on Monday and was making “very good progress”.

“The test now will be when he has to get in the nets and then we’ll know exactly where we are,” he said.

Prince was replaced at the WACA by J.P Duminy, who was unbeaten on 50 when the amazing victory was sealed.—Agencies