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Bangalore: South Africa suffered a crushing double blow ahead of Saturday's second Test against India as both pace spearheads Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander were ruled out with injuries.
Philander twisted his left ankle during practice in Bangalore on Thursday and will miss the rest of the four-Test series as MRI scans showed he may be out of action for up to eight weeks.
On Friday, South African skipper Hashim Amla confirmed that Steyn had not recovered from a groin strain he suffered during the first Test in Mohali last week.
"Both Dale (Steyn) and Philander are ruled out of this match," Amla told reporters at the Chinnaswamy stadium as the tourists prepared to bid for a series-levelling win.
The tourists, the world's top-ranked Test side, crashed to a 108-run defeat inside three days in the first match in Mohali as they found Indian spinners unplayable on the dry, dusty pitch.
The Proteas flew in seamer Kyle Abbott to replace Philander and fast bowler Morne Morkel will also be available after missing the Mohali Test due to a leg injury.
But the absence of Steyn and Philander will hurt the tourists since bad weather in Bangalore over the last few days is certain to spice up the pitch.
Amla insisted that Abbott, who has taken 13 wickets in three Tests so far, will be ready to play despite landing in Bangalore on Thursday night.
Both Amla and his Indian counterpart Virat Kohli said the damp weather and forecast of further rain over the next five days will make both teams re-think their plans.
Kohli said the different conditions from Mohali where the Indian spinners claimed 19 of the 20 wickets, are bound to affect the home side's strategy.
India will welcome back premier fast bowler Ishant Sharma, who missed the Mohali match to serve out a one-Test ban for misconduct during the recent Sri Lankan tour.
Sharma is likely to replace either Umesh Yadav or Varun Aaron -- unless India prefer to play three seamers -- but Kohli said a final call on the playing XI will be taken just before the toss.
India (from): Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Lokesh Rahul, Stuart Binny, Varun Aaron, Gurkeerat Mann.
South Africa (from): Hashim Amla (capt), AB de Villiers, Temba Bavuma, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Simon Harmer, Imran Tahir, Morne Morkel, Kyle Abbott, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Stiaan van Zyl, Dane Vilas.
Match facts
November 14-18, 2015
Start time 0930 local (0400 GMT)
