India vs South Africa 2nd Test: South Africa suffer a major setback as pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada is ruled out of the second Test against India in Guwahati. (Image Credit: X/@MB5Plug)
The pace spearhead of South Africa, Kagiso Rabada, was on Tuesday officially ruled out of the second Test against India in Guwahati because he has failed to recover from the rib-bone stress injury he sustained in training. As a result, the visitors are now forced to go into an important match without one of their frontline bowlers.
Rabada’s injury problems began with their first training session ahead of the series opener at Kolkata, where he was forced to undergo scans and fitness tests.
Although there was hope initially, bowling coach Piet Botha had said a decision would be made within 24 hours after further monitoring, South Africa confirmed that Rabada will miss out on the rest of the tour, which includes the three-match ODI and five-match T20 leg.
South Africa have called up Lungi Ngidi into their squad for the Guwahati Test as a replacement for Rabada. Ngidi returns to Test cricket following his last appearance in June 2025 during the World Test Championship final at Lord's.
Ngidi's inclusion does add some firepower, but can't replace Rabada's experience and his unrelenting attack.
Proteas' skipper Temba Bavuma gave a grim update about their pace problems and added that the Guwahati pitch at the Barsapara Stadium could be a double-edged sword. "It looks a lot fresher … maybe a little more grass than Kolkata," Bavuma said, hinting that the early batting conditions may assist the seamers initially.
He also mentioned that if the surface settles down, it may turn into a conventional subcontinental wicket: “Good for batting first two days … then the spinners will come into play.”
Yet, despite being 1–0 ahead in the series, Bavuma made it a point to declare that South Africa are not here to just consolidate for a draw. “Any Test you play you want to win … we want to play from the front,” he asserted.
That aggressive mindset will be crucial in Rabada's absence as the onus is now on the seam-bowling backups and their spin options to fill the void.
The South African bowling attack, without Rabada, will not only miss his raw pace but also his ability to take wickets in crunch moments.
Simon Harmer stole the show with eight wickets in the first Test in Kolkata, Harmer is a spinner, and the Guwahati surface may be different for him.
While the responsibilities fall more on Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch and Wiaan Mulder now, replacing Rabada's potency will be a tall ask.
Rabada won't only miss out on the Guwahati Test, he will also be absent in the coming limited-overs series. As per reports, he will start a four-week rehabilitation programme under South African medical supervision. That puts his short-term availability in serious doubt and leaves the Proteas facing a crucial test of their bowling depth in Indian conditions.
