South Africa will have to shuffle their attack again after Nandre Burger and Tony de Zorzi were ruled out of Sunday’s third ODI against India. Both left the field in Raipur with hamstring problems and scans on Friday confirmed the damage.
Burger pulled up midway through his sixth over, visibly uncomfortable. De Zorzi, having compiled a careful 17, felt a twinge in his right leg while turning for a second run in the 45th over and retired hurt. Cricket South Africa later clarified the situation in a short medical update: “De Zorzi has also been ruled out of the upcoming five-match T20I series against India, which gets underway on Tuesday, and will return home. No replacement has been named.”
Burger’s absence is limited to the ODI, though the selectors will reassess once the squad returns home. The loss of de Zorzi, however, stretches the top-order reserves for the T20Is and denies the opener a rare run of matches against high-calibre opposition.
There was further disruption for the T20 group. Teen fast bowler Kwena Maphaka has been withdrawn after, in CSA’s words, he did not “progress as expected during the final phase of his rehabilitation” from a left hamstring tear. Lutho Sipamla has been drafted in, offering a like-for-like right-arm option.
Captain Aiden Markram admitted the timing is awkward but tried to keep perspective. “We’ve had a few setbacks on this trip, but that’s international cricket. The next player steps in and we back him,” he said during a brief media call.
South Africa’s updated T20I squad: Aiden Markram (capt), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wk), Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, George Linde, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla, Tristan Stubbs.
The decisive ODI remains delicately poised at 1-1. Without Burger’s left-arm angle and de Zorzi’s stability up front, South Africa will lean heavily on Marco Jansen with the new ball and David Miller’s experience in the middle order. India, meanwhile, are expected to stick with the XI that levelled the series, sensing an opportunity to close out their home season on a winning note.
