Calcutta: Already trailing 0-1 in the six-match ODI series, South Africa were dealt a major blow as captain Faf du Plessis was ruled out of the remaining ODIs as well as the entire T20I series due to a finger injury.
Du Plessis sustained the injury in his right index finger during the first ODI against India in Durban, which South Africa lost by six wickets.
According to a Cricket South Africa (CSA) release, the captain for the remaining ODIs will be named on Saturday. Farhaan Behardien comes in as replacement for Du Plessis, who's aiming to be fit for the first Test against Australia in Durban from March 1.
Heinrich Klaasen, on the other hand, earned his maiden ODI call-up as reserve wicketkeeper-batsman in the squad.
"Faf du Plessis will miss the remainder of the Momentum One-Day International (ODI) series and upcoming T20 International series against India due to a finger injury.
"Du Plessis injured his right index finger during the first ODI at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Thursday, with further assessment and investigation revealing a fracture which will require 3-6 weeks to heal.
"Du Plessis will undergo a period of rest and rehabilitation with the aim of being fit for the first Sunfoil Test match against Australia starting in Durban on March 1... The captain for the remainder of the ODI series will be announced on Saturday," said the CSA release.
South African batsmen's abject surrender to India's wrist spinners the other day required Du Plessis's class and grit to help the team total past 250.
Now that he will no longer be available in the remaining matches, South Africa will be badly missing the kind of resistance their captain can come up with it.
Yes, AB de Villiers will return from the fourth one-dayer. But considering how the Proteas have been batting lately, India may find a golden opportunity to pile on the hosts' agony, leaving De Villiers with too much to do when he is back.
Du Plessis himself too admitted, after Thursday's defeat, that quite a few of the South Africa batsmen have never faced Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, and so would take some time to get accustomed to wrist spin.
"From a batting point of view, quite a few of our guys haven't faced India's spinners. So, it will take one or two games for them to get used to it.
"Some of the guys played against these bowlers in the IPL, but not all faced them recently. With mystery spin or wrist spin, it takes one or two games just to get used to the guys' actions and their wrists.
"Then hopefully, you get better at playing them," the skipper said during the post-match media conference.
