Linde replaces injured Maharaj for third Test

PUNE: Keshav Maharaj, South Africa’s premier left-arm spinner, has been ruled out of the third Test against India, which starts on Saturday in Ranchi.

Maharaj sustained a shoulder injury during the second Test in Pune and will require two-to-three weeks’ recovery time. Cobras left-arm spinner George Linde has been called up to the squad as a replacement.

Losing Maharaj is a major blow to South Africa, who are already 2-0 down in the three-Test series but have 40 points of the World Test Championship to still play for in the final fixture. Though Maharaj has not had the success of India’s spinners, he is South Africa’s highest wicket-taker of the series with six scalps.

He was also one of the few players who showed fight with the bat, scoring a career-best 72 in the first innings in the second Test.

Maharaj was bowling his 50th over in India’s only innings of the Test when he tried to stop a run after Virat Kohli punched the ball towards long-on. Maharaj fell on his right shoulder and immediately rolled over, clutching it in pain.

He was treated on the field and completed the over, but left the field for scans shortly after. His first set of scans were inconclusive and he was sent for a second scan on Saturday morning when he was also required to bat. Maharaj was strapped up and batted in a marathon stand, only occasionally grimacing after attempting shoulder-intensive shots like the pull. Nonetheless, Maharaj has been diagnosed as having hurt a muscle and will not be fit in time for the Ranchi Test. —Agencies