Kagiso Rabada Nears Proteas Return as Bavuma Weighs Second-Test Changes

Kagiso Rabada is in contention to return for the Proteas when the second Test against Australia begins at St George’s Park on Sunday, 18 October. Captain Temba Bavuma says the fast bowler is progressing well after missing the Durban opener while recovering from a hamstring injury.

South Africa trail the three-match series 1–0 following their 214-run defeat at Kingsmead. Rabada’s availability would give Bavuma another frontline pace option, but the captain also faces questions about a batting order that failed to put Australia under sustained pressure.

Rabada moves closer to a return

Our first Test review covered how Australia converted their advantage into a decisive win. The attention now turns to the players South Africa can call on to change the contest in Gqeberha.

Bavuma said Rabada “looks good” and explained that leaving him out at Kingsmead was a precaution to allow extra recovery time. The quick has been bowling during breaks in play, although his second-Test selection remains unconfirmed.

The ICC’s Rabada update puts him firmly in the recall discussion. The question for the Proteas is how to use that option within an attack that must create chances without allowing Australia to score freely.

Bowling balance matters as much as the recall

Anrich Nortje’s workload is part of that decision. Cricket Australia reported that he bowled 40 overs in Durban on his return to long-form cricket. Bringing Rabada in for Nortje would be a different selection move from dropping a spinner and retaining both fast bowlers.

Bavuma also acknowledged that the two-spinner approach had failed to deliver the intended result. Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer took four wickets between them while conceding 320 runs across the match, according to Cricket Australia’s report on South Africa’s selection questions.

Those figures give the selectors something to review, but they don’t establish the right combination for a different ground. If the Gqeberha surface offers more to seam bowling, an additional pace option becomes easier to justify. If spin looks important later in the match, keeping that variety has a case too.

Bavuma faces questions over the batting order

Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs and Kyle Verreynne face scrutiny after their performances in Durban. Bavuma has acknowledged that discussions over places are necessary, while also expressing confidence in the players who took the field. No batting changes have been announced.

There are alternatives in the wider squad. Gerald Coetzee, Corbin Bosch and Dane Paterson offer pace options, while Marques Ackerman and Senuran Muthusamy were also outside the Durban XI. Their presence creates competition without making any particular replacement certain.

Bavuma’s own batting belongs in the review: he made three and one at Kingsmead and accepted that some dismissals had been avoidable. South Africa need their established batters to build partnerships, whichever combination the selectors choose. A stronger bowling attack can reduce the runs required, but it can’t supply them.

Australia could change a winning team

Australia are considering Cameron Green after an abdominal problem kept him out of the first Test. Pat Cummins has said conditions at St George’s Park will help determine the XI and batting order, leaving the visitors’ combination open despite their convincing win.

Matt Renshaw’s Player of the Match performance has strengthened his position at No.5. In the ICC’s report on Australia’s second-Test options, Cummins indicated that moving him would require a compelling reason, while keeping the door open to flexibility elsewhere in the order.

For South Africa, that means preparing for more than the same XI again. Green’s selection and the role Australia give him would influence both the batting line-up and the balance of the side. His possible return is another reason to wait for confirmed teams before settling on a player-market pick.

The Betting Read

Rabada’s potential return gives South Africa a more encouraging selection outlook. It doesn’t, on its own, erase the batting problems exposed in Durban. Our early view is that the Proteas’ chances depend on the whole XI improving, with longer partnerships supporting whichever attack Bavuma fields.

The bowling news is most useful when read alongside the pitch and the final combinations. A fit Rabada adds an option to assess in wicket-taking markets, but his workload and the roles of the other bowlers matter too. Our cricket betting guide explains how those markets differ from backing the match winner.

For the match-winner market, compare the same three-way outcome across bookmakers: South Africa, Australia or the draw. A positive fitness update is one piece of the assessment, alongside batting strength, conditions and the opposition’s selection. Our sports betting guide covers comparing prices before choosing a selection.

The second Test is scheduled for 18–22 October, with the first ball at 10:00 SAST on Sunday. South Africa need a win to keep the possibility of taking the series alive. Rabada’s final fitness position, the bowler he replaces and any batting changes will make the next team announcement especially important.

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