What Does the Anrich Nortje Groin Injury Mean for South Africa in the Rest of This Series?

South Africa lost a front-line seamer midway through the second Test, and the timing could hardly be worse for a side already chasing the series. Nortje broke down on day four after delivering only half of one over, and the team has had to plan around his absence ever since. Australia lead 1-0 after winning in Durban by 214 runs, so the bowlers who remain must carry a heavier load into the third Test at Newlands on 27 October.

A Breakdown on Day Four

On the fourth day Nortje pulled up with a suspected right groin problem, having completed just three deliveries of his fourth over. He had just removed Labuschagne, who picked out Harmer in the field, leaving Australia 45 for 4. His spell read 3.3 overs, no maidens, five runs and that single wicket. He was ruled out of bowling again in Australia’s first innings, and whether he has any further part in the match is still unclear.

No scan grade has been made public, so the true length of his absence is unknown. That uncertainty is awkward, because South Africa must pick a squad for the third Test while still guessing at his recovery. Selectors cannot sit and wait if the answer takes days to arrive, since the next match is only a few days away. A decision either way will shape who bowls alongside Rabada at Newlands.

Anrich Nortje groin injury

His workload makes the setback easier to understand. In the first Test in Durban, he bowled 40 overs, a heavy shift for a man playing his first Test in more than three and a half years. He took 2 for 40 on the opening day, a sharp return that suggested the long gap had not blunted him. For a seamer easing back after such an absence, that was a significant demand.

In the second Test, his contribution was small by comparison, one wicket for five runs in 3.3 overs, yet that wicket had Australia wobbling. His full match wickets in Durban and his series total are not available, so any claim about his overall impact has to stay modest. What is certain is that a bowler who had just returned to the Test side now needs another recovery period. Cover for his role will therefore be tested before the match even begins.

Pace Depth Behind the Front Line

The squad still holds plenty of seam options, with Rabada, Jansen, Bosch, Coetzee and Paterson all in the group alongside Mulder in the attack. Rabada is fit again after a hamstring strain that kept him out of the first Test, which gives the unit its leader back. Paterson and Coetzee sit in reserve. That depth matters more now than it did a week ago.

Depth beyond that is thin. Ngidi is sidelined, while Baartman and Maphaka are both dealing with hamstring problems of their own, so the pool of replacements is smaller than the squad list suggests. Fitness across the group is therefore as important as selection. If the selectors must find cover for Newlands on 27 October, the choice will come from a short list of reserves rather than a deep bench.

A Series Slipping Away

The match situation adds pressure. Australia were bowled out for 99 in the first innings, and weather ended play early on day five with them on 156 for 4 after following on, still trailing by 170 once South Africa had declared at 425 for 9. Six Australian wickets remain, so a South African win is possible but the weather has eaten into the time available. Both sides will want clear skies, but only South Africa needs a result to keep the series alive.

Steve Smith’s neck problem is the other storyline for the visitors. He led the first-innings scoring with 28, received treatment several times, stayed out of the follow-on and watched from the boundary in a neck brace, although coach McDonald said the physio was working on him and that he would bat on day five. For South Africa, the Anrich Nortje groin injury remains the bigger practical problem, because Australia lead 1-0 and cannot be allowed a comfortable path into the third Test at Newlands.