In what would come as a big blow to the prospects of the hosts South Africa, pacer Anrich Nortje has been ruled out of the three-match long Test series against India starting December 26 in Centurion.
Cricket South Africa announced the development and said that the pacer who made his Test debut against India in 2019 has been ruled out due to a “persistent injury”. However, the hosts will not seek any replacement for him.
After the first Test, the second and third Tests of the series will be played in Johannesburg and Cape Town starting on January 03 and January 11 respectively.
Earlier this month, South Africa had announced a 21-man strong squad to face India at home. The squad included the return of Duanne Olivier, who had left the country to play cricket in England and hence they will have a replacement ready to fill in for Nortje’s absence.