Connolly travels apart from Australia squad as Rabada misses first Test

Australia's Cooper Connolly travelled separately from his teammates before the opening Test in Durban, while South Africa have ruled out fast bowler Kagiso Rabada because of a hamstring tear.

Connolly, 23, is understood to have a head cold. He completed training as normal at Kingsmead, then left wearing a mask in a van while the other Australian players returned to their hotel by bus.

Australia will assess the pitch before naming their XI at the toss. Connolly and Nic Maddinson are competing to replace Cameron Green, who has an abdominal strain. Josh Inglis is also unavailable, remaining in Perth with a fractured finger.

A particularly dry surface could allow both contenders to play: Maddinson is noted for his batting against spin, while Connolly bowls left-arm spin. Connolly has not appeared in a Test since his debut against Sri Lanka last February; Maddinson last played in December 2016.

Rabada injured his hamstring in August and was restricted to a run-up of about nine steps during training before South Africa decided against selecting him. Captain Temba Bavuma said the team had taken a cautious approach and hoped Rabada would be ready for the second Test in Gqeberha.

South Africa's frontline pace options will be Marco Jansen and Anrich Nortje, with Keshav Maharaj and Simon Harmer providing spin. Nortje has not played Test cricket since March 2023. Fellow fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is unavailable for the series because of hamstring injuries.