South Africa don’t know if champion allrounder Jacques Kallis will feature again in the second cricket Test against Australia.
Kallis was having scans on an injured hamstring which forced him from the field on a grim opening day for the tourists in Adelaide.
Australia amassed 5-482 in what South African coach Gary Kirsten termed a “beating” for his side.
The Proteas lost paceman Vernon Philander pre-match, the fast bowler unable to bend when getting out of bed on Thursday.
Philander was also having scans with Kallis, who took two wickets in three overs before hobbling off from Adelaide Oval.
“Losing Jacques to a type of injury he has never had in his career was a tough one,” South African coach Gary Kirsten said.
“He has gone for a scan so we don’t really know, we will just have to wait for that.
“He was a little bit sore and I think he made a wise decision, as soon as he felt a twinge he got off the park quickly.
“Obviously from a batting perspective he is going to be important, and these days we don’t have runners so it’s going to be important that he can bat for us.”
Fast bowling spearhead Dale Steyn also left the field for treatment on a tight hamstring but returned to action.
The Proteas were heading back to the drawing board after Australian captain Michael Clarke (224 not out) plundered another double-century and opener David Warner (119) and Mike Hussey (103) also scored tons.
Kirsten, strangely, said South Africa “bowled well to Michael Clarke this Test match, as we did the last one” when the Australian leader made an unbeaten 239 in the drawn series opener in Brisbane.
“Maybe where we are fault is our thinking,” Kirsten said.
“We looked at him closely in our preparation for this Test match, we need to go back and look again to see what we can do.
“We certainly tried one or two things we felt could work, it didn’t go our way.
“I guess we need to go back and look at what else we can do – but there is very little that you can do in terms of your strategies.
“We will try different types of strategies, plan A, plan B, even to plan C, and if they don’t work you go back to plan A and start again.”
