Daijiworld Media Network – Guwahati
Guwahati, Nov 21: South Africa suffered a major blow on Thursday as pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada was ruled out of the second Test against India in Guwahati and the remainder of the tour. Rabada had already missed the opening Test in Kolkata after sustaining a rib-bone stress injury during the buildup.
Despite close monitoring by the Proteas medical team, ongoing discomfort in the injured area forced his withdrawal. The visitors, who lead the two-match series 1-0, had earlier called up Lungi Ngidi to strengthen their pace attack.
The defending World Test Championship winners created history in Kolkata with their first Test win on Indian soil since 2010. Simon Harmer and Marco Jansen stepped up impressively, sharing 13 wickets to script a memorable 30-run victory, which also boosted South Africa’s position in the WTC standings. They now sit second, just behind Australia.
India, too, are grappling with injury troubles as Test captain Shubman Gill has been ruled out of the Guwahati Test starting Saturday, November 22.