South Africa leave Rabada's return to the wire as Australia open in Durban

South Africa will wait as long as they can on Kagiso Rabada's hamstring before settling on a side for the first Test against Australia at Kingsmead on Friday

The three-match series opens in Durban on 9 October, the first Test Australia have played in South Africa since the 2018 tour that ended in the ball-tampering suspensions of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

It is also the first meeting between the two sides since South Africa beat Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's in 2025, and both arrive carrying selection problems.

Rabada has not played at any level since the end of May and is still working back from a right hamstring injury sustained in training in August. Australia are without Cameron Green, ruled out of the opener with an abdominal strain, and reserve wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, who left the tour with a fractured finger.

South Africa are the reigning world Test champions and have won 13 of their last 14 matches, a run that includes a 2-0 series win in India in November 2025. Australia have won eight of their last 10 but have not played away from home since July 2025.

A decision left as late as possible

Rabada trained in the nets in Durban on Wednesday, though South Africa have given no indication of which way the call will go. He was named in an 18-man preliminary group on 28 September while still rehabilitating.

"Everybody wants him to play. The spectators, us in the change room, the Australians," said off-spinner Simon Harmer. "There'll be a decision made, I'm sure, as close to the game as possible."

The longer view, Harmer added, would govern it. "I don't think we want to risk a short-term game for long-term damage."

A thin pace group behind him

South Africa are choosing from depleted fast-bowling stocks. Lungi Ngidi, Kwena Maphaka and Ottneil Baartman were all unavailable with hamstring injuries, and head coach Shukri Conrad recalled Anrich Nortje, Gerald Coetzee and Dane Paterson to cover.

"Having a larger bowling group gives us the flexibility to cover all bases," Conrad said when the squad was announced.

Nortje has not played a Test since March 2023 and would come in if Rabada is held back. "I'll be very excited if I can put my Test cap on again. Growing up, it's the format you want to play," he said.

The squad also carries a maiden call-up for Marques Ackerman, the 30-year-old who has made 5,986 first-class runs at 48.66, and leaves out Dewald Brevis.

Australia reshuffle around Green

Green picked up his abdominal strain in the final one-day international at Potchefstroom and has stayed in South Africa rather than flying home. "It's a bit of an unknown, but there is still optimism that he will take part in the series at some stage," coach Andrew McDonald said.

Any return would be as a specialist batter, with McDonald calling a bowling comeback inside the series highly unlikely.

Inglis's fractured finger brought Nic Maddinson and uncapped wicketkeeper Sam Harper into the squad. Maddinson, who has not played a Test since 2016, is competing with Cooper Connolly for the No.5 place.

Labuschagne buys himself room

Marnus Labuschagne came into the tour under heavier scrutiny than anyone in the Australian top order, three years and 43 Tests without a hundred. He answered it in the two-day tour match at Potchefstroom with 111 from 89 balls, including 19 fours, before retiring — his first century in any format in 11 months.

That innings is expected to secure him at first drop, with Travis Head staying as opener.

What Kingsmead has offered

Australia have won their last three Tests in Durban, a sequence running back to 2006. The surface has been dry this week, and in the two Tests played at the ground since the pandemic pace took 46 wickets at 22.51 while spin took 26 at 27.11.

Spin did the damage in the one-day international here on 24 September, when Keshav Maharaj took 4-20 and Bjorn Fortuin 2-34. McDonald played down a second spinner for Australia. "It would have to be quite compelling for us to shift into two spinners."

Aiden Markram is the batter Australia will worry about most. He averages 61.6 in Tests against Australia, compared with 35.46 overall, and was player of the match in last year's World Test Championship final.

The first Test begins at Kingsmead on Friday, with the series moving to St George's Park in Gqeberha on 18 October and Newlands in Cape Town on 27 October.

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