Another Pacer In Major Doubt For India vs South Africa Test Series After Mohammed Shami

India and South Africa will clash in a two-match Test series starting at the end of the month. The SuperSport Park in Centurion is scheduled to host the Boxing Day Test (December 26–30) and the New Year Test will be played at Newlands in Cape Town from January 3rd. Team India have never won a Test series in South Africa so far.

However, this time under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, the world’s No. 1 Test team would certainly hope to create history. With just a few days left for the two-match series between the two teams, India have a big reason to worry in the form of star pacer Mohammed Shami’s fitness.

According to reports in Cricbuzz, the star pacer, who finished with 24 wickets in seven games in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, is unlikely to travel to South Africa. Mohammed Shami’s participation in the Test series is in serious doubt because the 33-year-old is nursing an ankle injury.

Mohammed Shami’s absence will be a big blow for the Men In Blue as he is the leading seamer for the team in red-ball cricket. However, Mohammed Shami is not the only pacer who is in danger of missing the India-South Africa Test series. Another star pacer is having an injury concern and can miss the two-match Test series between India and South Africa.

Mohammed Shami And Kagiso Rabada In Doubt To Feature In India-South Africa Test Series

However, this won’t be a reason to worry for the Indian team because this pacer with the injury concern is from South Africa’s squad. The Proteas are in doubt of missing their star pacer, Kagiso Rabada, who hasn’t stepped on the field since the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final.

The 28-year-old fast bowler’s fitness is a huge concern for South Africa and is highly uncertain. Kagiso Rabada was supposed to feature in a first-class game between ‘Lions’ and ‘Dolphins’ after being rested for the white-ball leg of the India-South Africa series. However, he missed the game because of a bruised heel. When South Africa’s team management was asked about Rabada’s comeback, the officials said he “would undergo further assessments.”

Kagiso Rabada took 20 wickets and finished as the leading wicket-taker in the three-match Test series played between the two nations in 2021–22. If he is ruled out of the Test series, then it will be a huge setback for the hosts. The Proteas are already without the services of Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi. Nortje is struggling with a lumbar stress fracture and has been out of the game since September 2023 and Ngidi, on the other hand, suffered an injury ahead of the T20I series against India.