The reigning world champions, South Africa, are set to lock horns against India in the IND Vs SA 2nd Test on Saturday, November 22, in Guwahati, marking the venue’s Test debut. The visitors aim to secure their first-ever series win on Indian soil in 25 years, having stunned India with a gritty, low-scoring triumph at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. However, one key name missing from the South Africa playing XI for IND vs SA 2nd Test is their pace spearhead, Kagiso Rabada.
Having won the series opener, South Africa have already taken an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series against India, courtesy of Simon Harmer’s exceptional spell and captain Temba Bavuma’s resilient half-century in the Kolkata Test.
Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the series decider – the second IND vs SA Test match in Guwahati due to a rib bone stress injury. The Proteas were expecting Rabada to be fit enough to play in the IND vs SA 2nd Test, but the seamer has not fully recovered from the injury that had kept him out of the opening Test of the series in Kolkata. If he had been fit, a spot was guaranteed for Rabada in the South Africa Playing XI.
“The injury has been closely monitored by the Proteas medical team, and due to ongoing discomfort in the affected area, Rabada has been withdrawn from the remainder of the tour,” Cricket South Africa said in a statement on Friday morning, a day off from the start of the game. “He will continue the initial phase of his four-week rehabilitation program with the Proteas medical team before returning to South Africa at the conclusion of the second Test.”
This will further rule him out of the white-ball series in India, featuring three ODIs and five T20Is, that will follow the Tests. Reportedly, Rabada has not bowled since sustaining the injury in training last Tuesday in Kolkata and did not train on Wednesday in Guwahati.
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In the first Test, South Africa fielded two specialist finger spinners and three fast-bowling all-rounders in their playing XI. Simon Harmer, with an eight-wicket match haul, was the visitor’s bowling star in Kolkata, and they had Keshav Maharaj as the second spinner, while Marco Jansen, the fast-bowling frontman, with Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch chipping in.
However, South Africa have made one change to the XI, with Senuran Muthuswamy coming in for Corbin Bosch. Other players have retained their spots.
With just a few hours to go before the IND vs SA 2nd Test, this is what can be said about the Guwahati Pitch: With a red-soil pitch that has some grass on it, there is potential for bounce and carry. The pitch is not expected to turn sharply, at least on the first two days. There could be early moisture for seamers to exploit, and potentially early finishes due to bad light.
India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma(c), Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne(w), Marco Jansen, Senuran Muthusamy, Simon Harmer, Keshav Maharaj
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