South Africa name XI without injured Kagiso Rabada for Australia Test
South Africa have named their first Test XI against Australia without injured fast bowler Kagiso Rabada.
South Africa have named their XI for the first Test against Australia at Kingsmead without Kagiso Rabada. The fast bowler continues to recover from a hamstring injury sustained in June and has not played since the IPL.
Anrich Nortje returns to the Test side for the first time since March 2023. The selection panel also included two spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer, reflecting recent conditions at the Durban venue. Captain Temba Bavuma said Rabada trained with the squad on Thursday but the team chose a conservative approach.
Rabada could feature in the second or third Test if he reaches full fitness. Bavuma would not be drawn on whether the speedster would be available for the second or third Tests.
CricHubb Take
The decision to play two specialist spinners at Kingsmead signals that the pitch may offer more turn than usual, which could influence Australia's own selection choices on Friday morning.