{"id":920973,"date":"2026-10-08T19:36:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T19:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/920973\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T19:36:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T19:36:17","slug":"south-africa-suffer-huge-blow-ahead-of-australia-test-eastern-riverina-chronicle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/920973\/","title":{"rendered":"South Africa suffer huge blow ahead of Australia Test | Eastern Riverina Chronicle"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"StarStar South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada will miss the first Test against Australia in Durban. Photo: Dean Lewins\/AAP PHOTOS<\/p>\n

South Africa’s pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the first Test against Australia after failing to overcome his hamstring tear.<\/p>\n

Rabada had been in a race against the clock since hurting his hamstring in August, and had been given every chance to play in Friday’s first Test in Durban.<\/p>\n

But after the quick was limited to bowling off close to nine steps at Kingsmead on Wednesday, the Proteas opted to take the safer option on match-eve.<\/p>\n

It means South Africa will play Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje as their two frontline quicks, while playing two spinners in Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer.<\/p>\n

\"FieryFiery paceman Anrich Nortje is playing his first Test for South Africa since March 2023. (Joel Carrett\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/p>\n

Allrounder Wiaan Murder will act as a third seamer, on a Kingsmead wicket expected to turn as the game goes on.<\/p>\n

Rabada’s absence comes 10 days out from the start of the second Test in Gqeberha (formally Port Elizabeth), with the hosts hopeful he can return for that.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

“We are confident in our medical team to get him to place we need him to be.<\/p>\n

“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 now until the start of the second Test.”<\/p>\n

Rabada had been one of Australia’s arch-nemeses on the ill-fated 2018 tour, taking 23 wickets at 19.26 in the last series between the two sides in South Africa.<\/p>\n

\"PacemanPaceman Kagiso Rabada proved lethal on Australia’s infamous 2018 tour of South Africa. (AP PHOTO)<\/p>\n

He also had the infamous mid-pitch clash with Steve Smith after dismissing the then-captain, for which he was initially banned before having his charge downgraded.<\/p>\n

South Africa are without fellow quick Lungi Ngidi for this series, who is battling his own hamstring injuries.<\/p>\n

But Nortje’s inclusion is a boost for the hosts, given he has not played a Test since March 2023.<\/p>\n

“It’s hard to ignore his X-factor. There aren’t many guys around who are bowling 150km\/h-plus,” Bavuma said of Nortje.<\/p>\n

“As a batter it’s not something I would look forward to.<\/p>\n

“He fits in very well to our approach from a bowling point of view, with regards to the fast bowlers.”<\/p>\n

Friday’s Test at Kingsmead marks the first in the country since January 2025, and the Proteas first anywhere since a tour of India finished last November.<\/p>\n

But they remain the world No.2-ranked side behind Australia, and are the current global Test champions after defeating Pat Cummins’ side in last year’s final.<\/p>\n

\"TembaTemba Bavuma with the world Test championship mace after South Africa beat Australia in the final. (AP PHOTO)<\/p>\n

Bavuma suggested Australia now find themselves in a similar position to South Africa a few years ago, with uncertainty around the tourists’ best XI.<\/p>\n

“That’s probably the phase they find themselves in,” Bavuma said.<\/p>\n

“Replacing a guy like David Warner doesn’t happen overnight.<\/p>\n

“A couple of years ago we probably found ourselves in that situation.”<\/p>\n

Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickleton, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (capt), Tristan Stubbs, Wiaan Mulder, Kyle Verryenne, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Simon Harmer, Andrich Nortje<\/p>\n

Australian Associated Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Star South Africa quick Kagiso Rabada will miss the first Test against Australia in Durban. Photo: Dean Lewins\/AAP…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":920974,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-920973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/920973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=920973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/920973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/920974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=920973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=920973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=920973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}