South Africa name playing XI for Durban Test without Rabada

The South Africa playing XI for the first Test against Australia was confirmed on Thursday, and Kagiso Rabada is not in it. The fast bowler has not shaken off a hamstring injury picked up in winter training. Anrich Nortje comes in at Kingsmead. The match starts on Friday. It is Nortje's first Test in more than three years.

Temba Bavuma captains. David Bedingham returns and bats at three. South Africa have picked Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer together, so two frontline spinners go into a Durban Test. Marco Jansen and Wiaan Mulder carry the rest of the seam work.

The side South Africa will field

• Aiden Markram
• Ryan Rickelton
• David Bedingham
• Temba Bavuma (captain)
• Tristan Stubbs
• Wiaan Mulder
• Kyle Verreynne (wicketkeeper)
• Marco Jansen
• Keshav Maharaj
• Simon Harmer
• Anrich Nortje

Published versions of the order differ over whether Maharaj or Harmer comes in first. The lower order may yet be shuffled on the morning of the match.

Rabada's hamstring and the second Test

Rabada has not played a competitive match since the IPL finished in May. He was hurt in winter training. He has only lately gone back to bowling in practice. South Africa decided to wait. Bavuma said the team "did go the conservative route to give him a couple of extra days".

The second Test is at Gqeberha on 18 October. Bavuma stopped short of committing Rabada to it. That call sits with the medical staff. South Africa hope to have him for that match.

Nortje back after three years

Nortje last played a Test in early 2023. Back and hip trouble took out most of the time since. His red-ball workload has been light. Bavuma said it was "hard to ignore his X-factor". The captain also pointed at the speeds, adding that there are "not many guys around who are bowling 150(kph) plus".

Two spinners at Kingsmead

Maharaj and Harmer have played Tests together before. Doing it in the opening match of a home series is less common. That leaves three specialist seamers in Nortje, Jansen and Mulder. Markram is available as a part-time off-spin option. Mulder also bats at six. Verreynne keeps wicket.

The rest of the series

This is a three-Test series. Durban is followed by Gqeberha on 18 October and Cape Town on 27 October. South Africa and Australia were the two finalists in the 2025 World Test Championship. South Africa won it at Lord's. Pat Cummins captains Australia. Australia had not confirmed their own eleven when South Africa named theirs.

Bedingham's return at three is the other change in the top order. Markram and Rickelton open. Stubbs follows Bavuma at five. Mulder and Jansen give Bavuma two seam-bowling allrounders in the same side, which is how South Africa have fitted both spinners in.