INJURY WOES

Dale Steyn ruled out of Bangalore Test

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

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Dale Steyn, South Africa's lead fast bowler, has been ruled out of the second Test against India in Bangalore after failing to sufficiently recover from a groin injury sustained in Mohali.Steyn, 31, experienced a tightness in his groin during the second day of the opening Test and did not bowl in the second innings.

Kyle Abbott, who was flown in yesterday (November 12) following Vernon Philander's tour-ending mishap, is ready to fill in for the injured Steyn, captain Hashim Amla said in his pre-match press conference. Amla, however, was hopeful of his premier strike bowler recovering in time for the third Test in Nagpur set to begin on November 25.

"Obviously losing Dale, the best bowler in the world, and Vernon, arguably the best all-rounder in the world, certainly changes the dynamics of the side," Amla said. "But the guys who are going to be replacing them are quality cricketers. We are fortunate that we have great depth in our bowling especially. If you are going to win a Test series, the series is won with 15 players usually, not just eleven. Although it is early in the series, I still think we have a potent attack to back it up."

Amla also brushed aside suggestions that South Africa ought to have called for a replacement bowler earlier, having known of Steyn's injury struggle for a while now. "Kyle will be ready. He's here at the moment with us training. We know Kyle, over the last few years, has been an outstanding reserve bowler," Amla said.

"He brings, a little bit of what Vernon brings, in terms of consistency with the ball. You kind of know what you are going to get. He's very consistent with where he lands the ball, basically. He brings a lot of control and he has a great know-how about what he wants to do.

"Even if Dale didn't play this Test, even if Vern was playing this Test, the team was pretty settled. We knew who the seamers were going to be. I don't think it mattered too much. Vern (Philander) did his ankle just yesterday. Sometimes, you get a bit of fairytale things coming out of these type of things, you know. If Kyle rocks up and has an amazing day, then so be it. One thing I know about Kyle is that he's a wonderful professional. When he puts his boots on, he's ready even if he just got out of the plane ten minutes before the first ball."

Meanwhile, South Africa's batting received a boost with spinning all-rounder JP Duminy passed fit to play after recovering from a finger injury sustained during the preceding One-Day International (ODI) series. Duminy picked up the injury in Rajkot while attempting to catch a ball that was hit back at him while bowling.

Duminy's return to the eleven eases the pressure on South Africa's middle-order that capitulated on a spinning surface in Mohali. Amla reckoned that Duminy, despite not playing a competitive game in over two weeks, was ready to go in Bangalore.

"JP has been a quality player, over the years for us. He bats at crucial positions at five, six and sometimes seven. He brings a lot of know-how and experience to the middle order. His off-spin has been vital for us. So although he hasn't played a game in the last two weeks, his training has been superb. Hopefully he has a good game," Amla said.

South Africa trail the four-match Test series 1-0 following their 108-run loss in Mohali. The second Test begins on Saturday, November 14.

© Cricbuzz

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