Rabada all but ruled out of Australia Test series with hamstring tear

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the home Test series against Australia after suffering a Grade 3 tear to his right hamstring. Rabada is expected to miss the three-match series and could remain sidelined for two months

Johannesburg: South Africa’s premier fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the side’s home Test series against Australia after suffering a grade-three tear to his right hamstring. Rabada, 31, is expected to be sidelined for up to two months after picking up the injury, which disrupted his winter conditioning programme.

Former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald, who’s the bowling coach of Lions, Rabada’s domestic team, said the medical assessment has totally ruled him out of the high-profile series, after initially hoping to have him available for their opening four-day domestic encounter against Boland starting on September 10.

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“He’s going to be out for all the Aussie Tests as well,” Donald was quoted as saying by News24 on Sunday. South Africa are scheduled to host Australia for a three-match Test series starting in Durban on October 9, followed by subsequent matches in Gqeberha and Cape Town, beginning from October 18 and 27 respectively.

The Tests will be preceded by a three-match ODI series starting at Kingsmead in Durban on September 24. But Rabada’s absence leaves a massive void in the South African bowling attack. The right-arm pacer has picked 340 wickets in 73 Test matches and was instrumental in South Africa’s victory over Australia in the 2025 World Test Championship final at Lord’s, where he returned with match figures of 9-110.

Rabada holds an outstanding Test record against the Australians, having taken 58 wickets in 11 games at an average of 21.39. The Proteas are also monitoring the recovery of fast bowler Nandre Burger, who is currently recovering from a stress fracture in his back.

Despite the growing injury list, the Proteas bowling depth can come to their rescue. Seamer Gerald Coetzee recently picked up match figures of 4-60 for South Africa A against Bangladesh A, while Kwena Maphaka and Corbin Bosch are very much on the radar for selection into the Test team, who are currently at second spot in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) standings behind table-toppers Australia.