SA vs IND Test series: Rabada picks up 'heel niggle', Bavuma pulls out of domestic fixtures ahead of India series

South Africa`s Temba Bavuma (R) talks with South Africa`s Kagiso Rabada (L) (Pic: AFP)

South African pacer Kagiso Rabada and Test captain Temba Bavuma, who are not part of the Proteas white-ball cricket mix, won't feature in domestic fixtures to gear up for the upcoming SA vs IND Test series.

Bavuma and Rabada were due to return for the Lions clash against the Dolphins on Thursday. However, the Lions confirmed that both star Proteas players won't be available for the clash.

"Bavuma has a personal matter to attend to and Rabada has a heel niggle," the statement read.

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If Rabada's injury turns out to be a bit more serious, he could miss out on the first Test against India. The 28-year-old's absence will leave the hosts without all of their frontline pacers, which will kick off on December 28.

Anrich Nortje was ruled out of the series as he continues to rehabilitate from a lower-back stress fracture. On the other hand, Lungi Ngidi had to withdraw from the T20I series with an ankle sprain.

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Gerald Coetzee and Marco Jansen are the two other speedsters who were released from the T20I squad and they will also miss out on the ODI series. They will participate in domestic cricket to prepare for the Test format against India.

Meanwhile, the Indian bowlers will come under sharp scrutiny in the team's effort to merge the immediate task of series-levelling and the distant target of finding an ideal combination for next year's T20 World Cup during the third and final T20I match on Thursday. The second T20I against the Proteas was a microcosm of the struggles this next-line Indian bowlers have gone through more often than not over the last three weeks.

SA vs IND Test series: Complete squads

Ishan Kishan (wk), KL Rahul (wk), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Mohd. Shami', Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Prasidh Krishna, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, and Rohit Sharma (c).

South Africa Test squad: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Dean Elgar, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Keegan Petersen, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne.

(With agency inputs)