SA paceman Lungi Ngidi has been ruled out of the second and final Test against New Zealand with a back strain, the team said on Thursday.
The 25-year-old missed the first Test, which saw SA thrashed by an innings and 276 runs in Christchurch over the weekend. “Because he hasn't been able to bowl last week, I don't think his bowling loads are up to the standard of preparing for Test matches,” captain Dean Elgar told reporters.
“He hasn't been training with us, he's only been bowling off a short run-up, which has been a bit of a setback for us. We know Lungi's been a key figure within our bowling line-up. So it's a bit disappointing that he's in the situation that he's in now.” SA went with the four-prong pace attack of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Duanne Olivier and Glenton Stuurman in the first Test but the strategy misfired, with New Zealand's batsmen racking up 482 to set a platform for victory. Stuurman had a torrid debut, conceding 1-124 at more than four runs an over, and could be replaced by two-test quick Lutho Sipamla, or Keshav Maharaj if the Proteas opt for a specialist spinner.
With multiple players out of form, Elgar said selection changes were a “big possibility” while declining to name any. “I'm sure there are guys who are a little bit low in confidence, especially from a batting point of view,” he said of a team that scored just 95 and 111 in the series-opener, their second-worst Test defeat ever.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Audi SA kicks off electric revolution with the launch of epic new e tronAudi is introducing its electric revolution to South Africa. The German carmaker made history by launching 6 electric cars simultaneously to the local market with its new e-tron range at a glittering event in Cape Town. AudiNightOfProgress
Read more »
Covid-19 update: SA reports 3,118 new cases and 110 deathsCovid-19 has killed at least 5.904,193 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to an AFP tally.
Read more »
COVID-19 in SA: 2,334 new cases recordedOne person has died due to COVID-19 related complications in the last 24 hours.
Read more »
Governing SA not ANC birthrightLet’s be clear, while the fight for the freedom of our country was intricately linked to the ANC in the past, the development of a better future does not have to be, not when the ANC has ceased to exist for the betterment of our nation.
Read more »