South Africa will be without their chief enforcer for the blockbuster series opener against Australia, with Kagiso Rabada ruled out of the first Test in Durban.
The Proteas spearhead was given as late as possible to prove his fitness following a hamstring injury in winter training which ruled him out of the One Day series, but he has come up short.
Rabada has an exemplary record against Australia, taking 58 wickets at less than 22 and took nine wickets in their famous World Test Championship final win at Lord’s last year.
“We did go the conservative route, give him a couple of extra days to give him 100 per cent fitness,” captain Temba Bavuma said of Rabada.
“We are confident in our medical team to get him to place we need him to be.
“As soon as he gets the green light we expect him to be within the starting line-up. We’re giving him a couple of days until the start of the second Test.”
However, the home side will not be short on pace with Anrich Nortje selected to play his first Test in more than two years following back and hip surgeries.
Despite his lengthy absence, Bavuma believes the 32-year-old will come out firing.
“It’s hard to ignore his X-factor,” Bavuma said of Nortje.
“There aren’t many guys around who are bowling 150(kph) plus, and I think as a batter, that’s not something that I would look forward to.
“As much as he doesn’t have the weight of overs under his belt of bowling with the red ball, he has been doing work with the bowling coaches. He’s been very impressive in the nets. So, it was a calculated call to give Anrich a go.”
Unsurprisingly, South Africa has picked two frontline spinners in Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer, with the early-season surface expected to turn as the match wears on.
It leaves Nortje as the sole specialist fast bowler, with bowling all-rounder Marco Jansen to share the new ball and Wiaan Mulder, who batted at No.3 in the World Test Championship, to serve as the back-up pace option.
The battling line-up is the same that triumphed over Australia at Lord’s but has had little red-ball practice since, in what will be South Africa’s first home Test series in two years.
SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST TEST XI
Aiden Markram
Ryan Rickleton
David Bedingham
Temba Bavuma
Tristan Stubbs
Wiann Mulder
Kyle Verreynne
Marco Jansen
Keshav Maharaj
Simon Harmer
Anrich Nortje
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