Rabada ruled out of second Test: Bavuma

South Africa’s pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the second Test against India, beginning here on Saturday, as he has not fully recovered from the rib injury he suffered during a training session ahead of the series opener.

“Kagiso has been ruled out of the second Test,” said Proteas skipper Temba Bavuma while giving an update on the pacer, who also missed the first Test in Kolkata, which the visitors won by 30 runs.

Bavuma added that the Guwahati track looked like a typical sub-continental wicket, which aids batting on the first couple of days and then becomes conducive for the slow bowlers.

“This wicket looks a lot fresher and will be more consistent in terms of variability compared to Kolkata. We will have another look in the morning and decide on Kagiso’s replacement,” the skipper said.

“This is a typical sub-continental wicket with the first two days good for batting before spinners come into play.”

Guwahati is hosting a Test match for the first time and the pitch at the Barsapara Stadium is an uncharted territory for both teams.