Kagiso Rabada Misses Second Test as South Africa Face India

South Africa will be without their star fast bowler Kagiso Rabada for the second and final Test against India in Guwahati, scheduled to start on Saturday, November 22, 2025. Rabada has not recovered from a rib bone stress injury, which he sustained during training ahead of the first Test at Eden Gardens. He had already missed South Africa’s 30-run victory in Kolkata due to this injury.

In anticipation of Rabada’s absence, South Africa had called up seamer Lungi Ngidi, who is now in contention to play in the second Test. Captain Temba Bavuma confirmed that the team will finalise the starting XI after assessing the Guwahati pitch. He noted that the wicket looks fresher than Kolkata, with more grass, which could help bowlers initially but will favour batsmen in the early days.

Bavuma added that the Guwahati pitch is expected to follow the traditional sub-continent pattern, supporting batting in the first few days and gradually offering assistance to spinners later. He emphasized that the first innings will be crucial for setting up the game. “You always want to win the toss because batting early on days one and two gives a clear advantage,” he said.

The South African captain also stressed that the team will play positively in Guwahati. “We will not play for a draw just to protect the series lead. Any Test we play, we aim to win. We want to play from the front,” he said, underlining the team’s aggressive approach despite Rabada’s absence.

Rabada will also miss the three one-day internationals (ODIs) and five T20 matches that follow the Test series. He will now start a four-week rehabilitation programme to fully recover from the rib injury before returning to competitive cricket. His absence is a major blow to South Africa’s pace attack, which will need to rely on other fast bowlers like Ngidi and others to fill the gap.

On the Indian side, the team has also been affected by injury issues. Captain Shubman Gill will miss the second Test due to a neck injury, leaving Rishabh Pant to lead the side in Guwahati. With key players like Gill and Rabada unavailable, both teams face challenges in balancing their line-ups and managing their bowling and batting resources.

The second Test is expected to be a competitive contest, with India aiming to level the series or take an advantage and South Africa trying to maintain momentum despite missing their premier fast bowler. Both teams will be eager to perform well, with the match providing crucial insights ahead of the limited-overs series that follows.