Australia add Sam Harper and Nic Maddinson after Josh Inglis ruled out

Australia have added wicketkeeper-batter Sam Harper and left-handed batter Nic Maddinson to their squad for the first Test against South Africa in Durban. Josh Inglis was ruled out with a fractured right index finger and will miss the opening match, with his availability for the second Test still uncertain.

Harper earned his call-up after scoring a 128-run century for Australia A against India A in Puducherry. The 29-year-old Victoria wicketkeeper arrived in South Africa on Friday and has accumulated 677 runs in the 2025-26 Sheffield Shield season.

Maddinson, 33, returns to Test cricket after a decade away, having last played in 2016. He has been included as batting cover following his recovery from testicular cancer. All-rounder Cameron Green remains a doubt with a lower abdominal strain sustained during the final ODI against South Africa. The three-match series begins on October 9 as part of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle.