STEVE Smith placed himself at risk of a potential Test match ban

STEVE Smith placed himself at risk of a potential Test match ban after he exploded and Australia lost the plot in a stunning WACA implosion on Friday.

South African skipper Faf du Plessis could also find himself in hot water after being spoken to by match officials amid a suggestion the Proteas had been deliberately throwing the ball into the dirt to yield reverse swing.

But in the midst of the catastrophic batting collapse that could see the axe fall on several in the Australian top order, the most dramatic flashpoint came when Smith was controversially given out lbw for a duck by umpire Aleem Dar, despite being 2.8 metres down the wicket to a spinner.
Smith’s immediate response was to thrust his arms out in a demonstrative “what the?” gesture directed at the umpire that will now be closely scrutinised by match officials as to whether it constitutes dissent.