South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder has been ruled out for the remainder of the Sri Lanka Test series after suffering a fractured right middle finger during the first Test. The injury occurred while Mulder was batting on the first ball of the 27th over, when he faced a delivery from Lahiru Kumara that jammed his fingers into the bat handle. Despite receiving on-field treatment, Mulder continued for a short time but ultimately retired hurt. He briefly returned to bat and scored 9 not out, but an x-ray confirmed the fracture, ending his involvement in the match.
Replacement and Squad Impact
Matthew Breetzke has been added to the squad as Mulder’s replacement. Mulder’s injury impacts South Africa’s plans for a balanced four-seam, one-spin attack. With Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, and Gerald Coetzee as the three seamers, Keshav Maharaj remains the only specialist spinner, though Aiden Markram is available to bowl offspin if required. The injury to Mulder leaves a gap in the team’s overall strategy for the series against Sri Lanka.
