With less than a month to go for the marquee Australia tour of South Africa, the hosts have been left worried over the fitness and availability of their premier fast bowler, Kagiso Rabada.
In what is going to be a compelling action across five-and-a-half weeks, Pat Cummins’ Australia will be taking over Temba Bavuma’s South Africa in three ODI matches and three Test matches.
The ODIs will provide vital preparation time for the players across both teams keeping in mind the 2027 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Then, the SA vs AUS Test series will have crucial ICC World Test Championship points at stake.
The two teams met in the ICC WTC final last year at Lord’s, where Bavuma’s side beat Cummins’ unit by five wickets. Aiden Markram was the Man of the Match for his fourth-innings century, while Rabada claimed 9 wickets in the match.
Rabada, though, is currently running against time to make it to the Test series that begins on October 9.
SA vs AUS: Will Kagiso Rabada play against Australia?
Because of a grade-three tear to his right hamstring, Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the ODI series against Australia, starting September 24, and the fast bowler is likely to miss the entire Test series as well.
According to former South Africa pacer Allan Donald, a grade-three hamstring tear takes “nine or ten weeks,” as quoted by the publication Rapport, to recover fully, which means Rabada is all but certain to be ruled out of the three-Test series against Australia, which will run from October 9 to the end of that month.
Donald is the bowling coach of Rabada’s domestic team, Lions.
CSA told Cricinfo, “Rabada is currently progressing through the early stages of his rehabilitation from a right hamstring injury under the close supervision of the CSA medical team.”
“He will miss the three-match ODI series against Australia… His availability for the three-match Test series against Australia will depend on how he progresses through his rehabilitation, with a decision on his selection to be made closer to the series.”
South Africa will take heart from the fact that last year they thumped India 2-0 in India in the absence of Rabada, who missed that series with a rib injury. Of course, potentially missing the services of their key fast bowler in home conditions against Australia will be a huge dent to the reigning ICC Test champions.
The Proteas, though, have a cartel of fast bowlers ready to take on the workload. Alongside the experienced hands of Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, and Wiaan Mulder are the energetic group of Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch, Kwena Maphaka, and Dane Paterson.
Australia tour of South Africa schedule:
- 1st ODI: September 24, Kingsmead Stadium, Durban (D)
- 2nd ODI: September 27, Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (D)
- 3rd ODI: September 30, JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom (D/N)
- Warm-up red-ball match: October 3-4, JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
- 1st Test: October 9-13, Kingsmead Stadium, Durban
- 2nd Test: October 18-22, St. George’s Park, Gqeberha
- 3rd Test: October 27-31, Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town
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