South Africa will miss Lungi Ngidi in the second and final Test against New Zealand as the pacer has been ruled out of the same following a back strain. Ngidi also missed the first Test that saw South Africa losing the match by an innings and 276 runs in Christchurch. While New Zealand will continue to focus on the momentum, the news comes as a blow for the visitors.
"Because he hasn't been able to bowl last week, I don't think his bowling loads are up to the standard of preparing for Test matches," captain Dean Elgar told reporters. He added, "He hasn't been training with us, he's only been bowling off a short run-up, which has been a bit of a setback for us. We know Lungi’s been a key figure within our bowling line-up. So it’s a bit disappointing that he’s in the situation that he’s in now.”
South Africa played four pacemen in Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Duanne Olivier and Glenton Stuurman but the strategy did not favour them much. New Zealand batters scored 482 runs the bowlers ran through the South Africa line-up in no time to restrict them for 111 in the second innings resulting in South Africa’s second-worst Test defeat ever. In the first innings, South Africa were bundled out for a mere 95.
The Proteas may think of replacing Glenton Stuurman from the first Test after his forgetful performance (1-124) on the debut match. They can choose between Lutho Sipamla or Keshav Maharaj if they consider opting for a specialist spinner.
Since multiple players are not in good shape, Elgar hinted at possible selection changes without mentioning any name. "I'm sure there are guys who are a little bit low in confidence, especially from a batting point of view," he said.
The second and final Test match between South Africa and New Zealand is scheduled to start on 25 February 2022 at Christchurch. The Kiwis will be in the blink of creating history, while the visitors would be fielding for pride.