Nortje Ruled Out of Deciding Test Against Australia
South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the third and final Test against Australia after suffering a mild groin injury in the second Test in Gqeberha. The news is a blow to the hosts ahead of the series decider in Cape Town.
The Nortje ruled out third Test decision came after scans on Thursday confirmed the injury he suffered while bowling in Australia’s first innings, cricket’s governing body said on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
South Africa have not yet named a replacement for the fast bowler. They have, however, named a 16-member squad for the decider, led by captain Temba Bavuma.
Nortje ruled out third Test: what it means for the decider
The series stands level at 1-1. Australia won the opening Test in Durban by 214 runs, and South Africa hit back with an innings and 31-run win in the second Test, which ended on October 22.
The final Test runs from October 27 to 31 in Cape Town. It will decide the series and close the teams’ contest in the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, with both sides chasing a series win.
Nortje’s absence weakens South Africa’s pace attack at a ground where fast bowlers often set the tone. The squad still includes Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, and Dane Paterson, so the hosts have options, but Nortje’s pace and experience will be missed.
A series already hit by injuries
Injuries have shaped this series from the start. Feature Pakistan reported that Kagiso Rabada was ruled out of the first Test in Durban, and that South Africa changed their squad for the second Test.
Rabada returned to play a part in the second Test, and Feature Pakistan covered how Jansen and Rabada helped set up South Africa’s fightback. The second Test also produced a record for Australia captain Steve Smith, who broke the record for catches in Test cricket.
Nortje now joins the list of players whose series has been cut short. For a decider, that is a significant loss, since the third Test often turns on which side holds its nerve and its fitness over five days.
South Africa squad for the third Test
Temba Bavuma (captain), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Gerald Coetzee, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Kyle Verreynne.
The squad mixes experience with depth in spin and pace. Harmer and Maharaj give Bavuma two spin options, while the pace group, even without Nortje, includes four front-line quicks.
What happens next
South Africa must decide whether to call up a direct replacement or back the bowlers already in the squad. An announcement is expected before the teams travel to Cape Town.
Australia, meanwhile, will see Nortje’s absence as an opening. Their batters struggled in the second Test, and a weakened South African attack gives them a better chance to post a big first-innings total. The decider, level at 1-1, now has one more twist before a ball is bowled.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Anrich Nortje out of the third Test?
He suffered a mild groin injury while bowling in Australia’s first innings of the second Test in Gqeberha, confirmed by scans on Thursday.
When and where is the third Test?
The deciding Test runs from October 27 to 31, 2026, in Cape Town, with the series level at 1-1.
Who leads South Africa in the decider?
Temba Bavuma captains a 16-member squad that includes Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, and Dane Paterson.
