Johannesburg: Vernon Philander's persistent toothache wasn't the worst of South Africa's pain as fellow fast bowler Morne Morkel left the field with a sprained right ankle on Friday and his top-ranked team was badly beaten up at home by India.
Morkel's injury halfway through the third day reduced South Africa's attack to just two front-line seamers, Philander and Dale Steyn, and came on a day when test cricket's best outfit was completely subdued by its closest challenger. No. 2 India leads by 320 with eight second-innings wickets in hand and South Africa faces a hurtful defeat at home and on a pitch that's made for its fast bowlers.
"Losing Morne is probably worse pain than my toothache at the moment," Philander said.
Philander managed his own irritating pain, which he was complaining of on the first day, to take five wickets so far in the match and also score a fighting half-century.
But he struggled along with his teammates later Friday and South Africa's famed seamers were forced to grin and bear it as Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli combined for a 191-run partnership and took 175 runs off the South Africans in just 38 overs in the final session.
"It's one of those days. They obviously played well ... hats off to them," Philander said.
Morkel's injury after twisting his ankle awkwardly and tumbling over while fielding wasn't solely responsible for South Africa's big demise on day three, but did leave the Proteas suddenly completely vulnerable at the Wanderers, and possibly for the rest of the series as the tall quick is doubtful for the second test on Dec. 26.
Morkel would definitely not bowl again in this test, South Africa manager Mohammed Moosajee said, and would only bat if "absolutely necessary." That's likely. He is then expected to need at least a week to be fully fit.
"Clinical examination and a subsequent MRI scan confirmed a grade one ankle sprain," Moosajee said in a statement. "The recovery period is usually 7-10 days."
