Kagiso Rabada hasn’t played cricket since the Indian Premier League finished in May. He hurt his hamstring during winter training and couldn’t play in the ODI series that followed against Australia. The fast bowler was left out of the first Test at Kingsmead in Durban, which finished on October 13, 2026, despite being a member of South Africa’s Test team for the Australia matches.
Kagiso Rabada‘s absence from the first Test was handled as a precaution, according to Captain Temba Bavuma, giving the bowler more time to recover before the second Test, which begins in Gqeberha on October 18, 2026.
Anrich Nortje played in a Test match for the first time since March 2023 when he took over for Kagiso Rabada in the first Test.
In the first game, Nortje bowled 40 overs in both innings, more than Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder combined.
South Africa’s side for the Australia series included seven fast bowlers: Jansen, Mulder, Rabada, Nortje, Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch, and Dane Paterson. For the Tests against Australia, there are still no more fast bowlers available.
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After recuperating from hamstring ailments, Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka, and Otteneil Baartman are expected to play later in the South African summer. The Proteas tried to get back on track after Australia’s dominant showing in the first Test when the series continued in Gqeberha.
