Coetzee replaces Nortje for Proteas in series decider
Gerald Coetzee will get a fifth Test start in the series decider against Australia, starting at Newlands on Tuesday with the Proteas opting for as close to a “like-for-like” replacement for Anrich Nortje as they could muster.
Coetzee, who last played a Test against Sri Lanka in 2024, is the only change to the team which won the second Test in Gqeberha. Nortje picked up a mild groin strain, midway his fourth over.
“You want the guy who can play the enforcer role, especially when the wicket gets flat,” Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said on Monday. “He’s probably the closest guy in terms of like-for-like for [Nortje].”
While Coetzee is capable of hitting the 145km/h mark, the 26 year old’s career has been blighted by injury. In his last Test, in Durban, he picked up a groin injury that kept him out of action for the remainder of 2024/25 season. Upon his return to the national team, he then suffered a rib injury while bowling in a T20 International in Windhoek.
“We did consider the fact that he hasn’t played for a while. But he’s been with the team, getting his workloads in. We believe he’s a guy who has the ability to make a big play for the team,” Bavuma explained.
Next stop: Cape Town! ✈️ 🇿🇦The Proteas are on the move from Gqeberha to the Mother City for the 3rd and final Test against Australia, with the series decider loading! 🏏🎟️ Get your tickets now at https://t.co/MJjMnWuplb#Unbreakable #SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/x0bln8RTcU— Proteas Men (@ProteasMenCSA) October 23, 2026
Coetzee faced competition from Corbin Bosch, who can hit 140km/h too and is a better batter, and Dane Paterson, who knows Newlands well but isn’t as quick as Coetzee, although he probably offers more control.
Simon Harmer also retained his place ahead of Keshav Maharaj, which Bavuma said was a very tough decision.
“Kesh, he’s been a stalwart for us, and he’s won many games for us. I think he understands the cricketing reason behind it. Australia have a plural of left-handers in their top seven. So a guy like Simon turning it away from them, he becomes a real threat,” Bavuma explained.
“You want to be consistent, right? We haven’t had the luxury of a solid top three or four. But while we’re still trying to find that consistency, that stability there, we’ve still been able to get the right type of results.”
SA team: Aiden Markram, Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Temba Bavuma (capt), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickleton, Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Simon Harmer, Kagiso Rabada, Gerald Coetzee