Keshav Maharaj’s short stint as South Africa’s stand-in Test captain is over after a left-groin strain ruled him out of the second match against Zimbabwe, starting in Bulawayo on 6 July. All-rounder Wiaan Mulder, fresh from a maiden Test hundred, will lead the side for the first time in any first-class fixture.
South Africa won the opening Test by 328 runs, but the victory came at a cost. Maharaj felt discomfort while completing a second-innings fifty on day three and did not take the field again. Subsequent scans confirmed the strain. “I knew straight away something wasn’t right,” he said after the game. “The physios told me to be sensible, and that’s that.”
The selectors have drafted left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy into the XI. With Maharaj already set to miss the T20 tri-series that follows – New Zealand are the third side – the management decided against flying in additional cover. Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi, initially scheduled to link up with the squad this week, has been released to continue his conditioning programme at home.
Mulder, 26, brings experience – 87 first-class matches, 20 Tests – but very little captaincy. His only previous taste came in a One-Day Cup quarter-final for Leicestershire in 2022. “It’s a bit of a surprise, to be honest,” he admitted. “But the dressing-room is settled, and I’ve got senior heads like Dean Elgar and Quinton de Kock around me.”
Head coach Shukri Conrad sounded confident. “Wiaan thinks clearly under pressure,” he said. “He bowled long spells in the first Test, then backed it up with 147. That tells me he understands rhythm and tempo – two qualities you need as skipper.”
Maharaj’s absence deprives South Africa of their most reliable spin option – he took 4 for 108 in the first Test – yet Muthusamy offers similar left-arm control, while Aiden Markram’s part-time off-spin provides depth if needed.
South Africa lead the two-match series 1-0. Victory in Bulawayo would secure a rare away sweep, while Zimbabwe, beaten heavily last week, are still searching for a first home Test win over their neighbours.
