South Africa’s ace pacer Kagiso Rabada will miss the second Test match against India at Guwahati. The 30-year-old was ruled out after not fully recovering from the rib bone stress injury, which had forced him to miss the series opener at Kolkata.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) said that Rabada will continue “the initial phase of his four-week rehabilitation program” with the medical team to recover from the injury.
“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been closely monitored by the Proteas medical team, and due to ongoing discomfort in the affected area, Rabada has been withdrawn from the remainder of the tour. 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,” the CSA statement said.
The visitors will have the services of Lungi Ngidi for the second Test match at Guwahati, after he was added to the squad as a precautionary backup for Rabada. Ngidi has taken 58 wickets in 20 Tests at an average of 23.37.
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His last red-ball appearance came in the 2025 World Test Championship Final against Australia in June, where he helped his side lift the coveted mace. He missed South Africa’s recent Test series in Pakistan, which they drew 1-1.
South Africa won the series opener at Eden Gardens by 30 runs, their first win on Indian soil since 2010. The result means that India will have to win the second Test to avoid a second straight home series loss to a SENA country on home soil.
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The win in the opening Test helped South Africa climb to second spot on the WTC points table. India are in fourth place. South Africa have beaten India once before in a Test series in this country, when they won the two-match series in 2000 2-0.
