SA vs SL: South Africa Lose All-Rounder For Remainder of Durban Test & The Series Due to Injury

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South Africa have lost Wiaan Mulder for the remainder of the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka due to injury, which also ruled out the all-rounder from the second Test, starting on December 5 in Gqeberha.

Mulder suffered the injury on day 2 of the Durban Test. During the first innings, Mulder was struck on the lower hand while batting and subsequent X-rays confirmed the fracture. Mulder remained unbeaten on 9 in his side's 191.

The pace-bowling all-rounder was not used with the ball as the trio of Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Gerald Coetzee did the damage, bundling out the visitors for a paltry 42.

The 26-year-old, however, did come out to bat in the second innings during the second day's play. He scored 15 off 31 balls before he was trapped LBW by Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya.

Ahead of day 3's play, the Proteas announced that the all-rounder will take no further part in the ongoing Test in Durban, and also confirmed he would miss the second Test, starting next week due to the fracture.

Batter Matthew Breetzke, who made his Test debut against Bangladesh last month, has been named as Mulder's replacement for the second match, scheduled from 5 to 9 December at St George's Park in Gqeberha.

Breetzke recently found a spot in the Indian Premier League side Lucknow Super Giants, who bought the batter for the base price of Rs 75 Lakh on day 2 of the IPL 2025 Mega Auction earlier this week.

In his solitary Test appearance so far, Breetzke made a duck against Bangladesh last month in Mirpur. In First Class cricket, the batter has amassed 3376 runs in 100 innings, including 8 hundreds and 16 fifties.

Breetzke, who has also made 8 T20I appearances, last featured for the national team in the Test during the tour of Bangladesh last month, when the Proteas clean sweeped the home side.

Both South Africa and Sri Lanka remain in the race to make it to the WTC Final in June. While South Africa need a clean sweep at home to increase their chances, the visitors will have to grab at least a game in the two-match Test series to boost their own chances of making it to the Lord's.

South Africa Squad for 2nd Test vs Sri Lanka

Temba Bavuma (Captain), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Senuran Muthusamy, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne.