Groin injury may keep Amla out of Wellington Test

Hashim Amla is "unlikely" to bat again or field in the third Test between South Africa and New Zealand after undergoing surgery to his groin. Amla was hit off the inside edge by Chris Martin when he was on 33 and received treatment on the field but continued batting for more than an hour, until he was dismissed for 63.

"Hashim underwent emergency exploratory surgery resulting from blunt trauma sustained to his groin region," Mohammed Moosajee, South African team manager said. "The surgeon is satisfied with the outcome and expects Hashim to make a full recovery."

However, it is unlikely that he will be able to take further part in the current Test at the Basin Reserve." Amla spent the night at a Wellington hospital and was discharged this morning.

After the first day's play, South Africa assistant coach Russell Domingo said the blow may have affected Amla's performance. Amla was out after top-edging a pull off Mark Gillespie in the first over after tea. "It was a really un-Hashim like shot and maybe he was affected by the blow he took," Domingo said. "It may have limited his movement a bit. I know it hit him in the nether regions and has affected his lower back a bit."

Amla is the second South African batsman to suffer injury in the third Test. Jacques Kallis was ruled out of the starting XI with a stiff neck on the first morning after an incident that took place in training on Thursday. "He went down for a catch and sprained something in his neck," Domingo said. "He had good treatment with the physio but hasn't responded. We were hoping it would have loosened up a bit but it hasn't."

Domingo called Kallis' omission a "major disruption" because South Africa had to restructure their team balance. "You have to replace him with two players, Domingo said. South Africa's final XI included an extra batsman and an extra seamer in JP Duminy and Marchant de Lange but they had to leave out frontline spinner Imran Tahir.