Australia skipper has lost his past six coin tosses in Test matches after Proteas leader Faf du Plessis called correctly at the Adelaide Oval.

Steve Smith has had zero luck at the toss during Australia's recent woeful slump, having lost six Test coin tosses on the trot, reports cricket.com.au

Smith chose to bowl first against New Zealand earlier this year and enjoyed a seven-wicket victory in Christchurch, a result that delivered Australia the No.1 Test ranking.

Since then, he has lost tosses in Pallekele, Galle and Colombo – where he called incorrectly on each occasion – and in Perth, Hobart and Adelaide, where Faf du Plessis has called correctly while Smith flipped the coin.

Australia have been defeated in the first five of those Tests, with the sixth starting Thursday afternoon at the Adelaide Oval.

If Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq calls correctly at the Gabba, Smith will equal the Australian record for consecutive coin toss losses, held by Joe Darling, whose terrible toss trot was in 1899-1902.

Darling also lost five consecutive coin tosses on the 1905 Ashes tour, but Smith is unlikely to take a leaf out the former skipper's book, who famously challenged rival skipper Stanley Jackson to a wrestling match in lieu of a coin toss.

The 27-year-old current captain has a long way to go before he equals former England captain's Nasser Hussain record streak of 10 consecutive toss losses.