SA vs AUS 1st Test playing XI: Kagiso Rabada ruled out; Anrich Nortje & David Bedingham return originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Kagiso Rabada is out of the Durban Test as South Africa protect his hamstring.
- Anrich Nortje returns for his first Test since March 2023 and David Bedingham bats at three.
- Australia have selection puzzles at five and seven, with Cameron Green out injured.
Kagiso Rabada injury update: Why the fast bowler misses the Durban Test
Without Kagiso Rabada, South Africa will open their Test summer against Australia with a pace attack very different from the one they’d planned.
Rabada hurt his hamstring in winter training. He hasn’t played a competitive match since the IPL ended in May, and his last Test came on South Africa’s tour of Pakistan last October.
He did get back to bowling before the series, taking part in the intra-squad game over the weekend and then a second session at Kingsmead on Thursday. Even so, the team has decided to give him more time with an eight-Test home season ahead.
Captain Temba Bavuma said the call was a cautious one, made to bring Rabada as close to full fitness as possible.
“We did go the conservative route and give him a couple of extra days to get as close as he can be to 100% fitness,” Bavuma said.
He wouldn’t promise, however, that Rabada will be back for the second Test on October 18. The medical staff still hold the decision, but Bavuma expects him straight into the side once he gets the green light.
“We’re confident in our medical team to get him to the place where we need him to be but they haven’t officially handed over Kagiso, if I could put it that way,” Bavuma said. “He’s under their control. Obviously for us, as soon as he gets the green light, we expect him to be within that starting line-up.”
In Rabada’s place, Anrich Nortje gets his first Test in more than three years. He’s no longer on a central CSA contract, and he hasn’t bowled more than eight overs in any match since April 2023. But he impressed at the Durban nets, and a very quick spell on Wednesday sealed his place.
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South Africa XI vs Australia for 1st Test at Durban
- Aiden Markram
- Ryan Rickelton
- David Bedingham
- Temba Bavuma (c)
- Tristan Stubbs
- Wiaan Mulder
- Kyle Verreynne (wk)
- Marco Jansen
- Keshav Maharaj
- Simon Harmer
- Anrich Nortje
Australia’s playing XI vs South Africa for 1st Test at Durban
Australia are without Cameron Green, who has an abdominal strain. He’ll stay in South Africa in case he can play a part later in the series. The visitors also have two frontline spinners, Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnemann, should the Durban pitch dry out. All five quicks, captain Pat Cummins included, had a solid bowl at training on Tuesday.
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The real headaches are at five and seven. Marnus Labuschagne’s hundred in the tour game has all but locked him in at first drop. Coach Andrew McDonald said Travis Head would “likely” stay as the opener.
With every quick fit, Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc look the most probable trio, and McDonald made it clear that playing two spinners would require a strong case.
- Travis Head
- Nic Maddinson
- Marnus Labuschagne
- Steve Smith
- Matthew Renshaw
- Alex Carey (wk)
- Beau Webster
- Pat Cummins (c)
- Mitch Starc
- Nathan Lyon
- Josh Hazlewood
South Africa’s cautious Rabada call and Nortje’s gamble make sense
South Africa have made a sensible decision to hold Rabada back. An eight-test home summer is long, and a hamstring that’s rushed can wreck a whole season. Missing one game now beats missing five later, especially for the bowler who leads the attack.
Picking Nortje is the bolder move. He hasn’t bowled long spells in years, and a back-injury history makes any selector nervous. But pace like his changes how batters think, and Bavuma clearly believes it’s worth the risk. The key is how the team manages his overs. If they rotate him smartly, he could be a real weapon in Durban.
Australia’s puzzle is smaller by comparison. Two spots are open, yet their core looks settled, and McDonald’s reluctance to play two spinners suggests they expect a pace-friendly surface. If the pitch does dry out, they have an answer in Kuhnemann.
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