South Africa's enforced change for third Test could be the worst nightmare for every Australia player

South Africa will likely need to make one enforced change to their XI for the third Test against Australia - and it could prove to be the worst nightmare for the tourists.

Australia lost the second Test in Gqeberha by an innings and 31 runs, having been bowled out for 99 in their first innings. Travis Head scored 121 in the second innings, but the match only lasted as long as the fifth day due to the opening two days being heavily rain-affected.

It is now back to the drawing board for Pat Cummins' side, who convincingly won the first Test but now face a battle to save the series in the South African cricketing hotbed of Cape Town. They only faced 3.3 overs from strike bowler Anrich Nortje in Gqeberha - and his potential replacement will be the last thing the Australian batters would want.

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South Africa XI change is required for third Test

Nortje walked off midway through Australia's first innings with a suspected groin injury, with Cricket South Africa confirming he would not bowl for the rest of the day.

As it happened, he did not bowl again for the remainder of the Test and, given he was only playing his second first-class game in three-and-a-half years, it could well be that South Africa choose not to play him in Cape Town even if he is fit.

The hosts' extended squad does at least cover them in terms of fast bowling options without them having to look elsewhere. Dane Paterson, who hasn't played a Test since December 2024, is one of those players. All-rounder Corbin Bosch, who averages 42 with the bat in first-class cricket and has a Test hundred, is another option, but South Africa may feel they are well covered in that department with Marco Jansen and Simon Harmer.

But the other option is 27-year-old Gerald Coetzee, who has been recorded as one of the fastest bowlers in cricket today.

During the 2024 Indian Premier League, Coetzee was recorded as one of the fastest bowlers of the season when he bowled at 94.6 mph during a match.

Gerald Coetzee is one of the fastest bowlers in international cricket (Image: Getty)

That makes he ranks marginally lower than Nortje, who once bowled 96.9 mph in an IPL match, and even Mitchell Johnson's Test record speed, with the feared Aussie paceman once clocking a speed of 97.4 mph during a Test against England in 2013.

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Australia's task could now become even harder in Cape Town

The last thing Australia need is more pace to add to the equation in Cape Town: seamers shared 18 wickets between them in Gqeberha, with Kagiso Rabada taking six of them.

Fast bowlers traditionally dominate the wicket charts at Newlands, and Australia are believed to be uncertain at this stage about whether to bring spinner Nathan Lyon back into their XI or stick with an all-pace attack. Nic Maddinson, Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne bowled part-time spin in the second Test, with Labuschagne taking the wicket of Harmer for 82 when he was on course for a maiden Test century.

Had Nortje played for South Africa, he arguably would have clocked lower speeds than usual in what would have been his third Test match in a row after such a long absence.

Coetzee, meanwhile, stands at 6ft 3in, meaning he will be able to extract any pace out of the wicket if it is there to be found. He hasn't played a Test since November 2024 but has taken 14 wickets at 23.57 in his previous eight bowling innings.

His average is only marginally higher in ODI cricket, with 34 wickets at 24.14, and he played in South Africa's one-day series against Australia before the Tests got underway.

The selectors' one concern, though, will be that the 27-year-old hasn't played a considerable amount of first-class cricket due to injuries. He did, though, get through 18.2 overs in South Africa A's four-day match against Bangladesh A in August, taking four wickets across both innings.

Speaking after the second Test match, South Africa captain Temba Bavuma named Coetzee first in a list of potential replacements for Nortje.

"We know what an extra dimension he [Nortje] adds to our bowling attack," Bavuma said. "I think, that one, we do have to take it upon ourselves that we probably took a risk by allowing Ana to play two games in a row.

"In terms of who might come in, obviously we will go to Cape Town and see what's happening there. You've got guys like Gerald on the wings, Pato, as well as Bosch, and we have Sen [Senuran Muthusamy] as well, so the options are there."