Steyn suffers another injury blow

South Africa have built a sizeable lead against India after day two of the first Test at Newlands on but must finish the match without pace bowler Dale Steyn who suffered another injury setback.

Hashim Amla (4) and nightwatchman Kagiso Rabada (2) will seek to extend the home side's advantage of 142 with eight second-innings wickets remaining after dismissing India for 209 on a lively wicket offering plenty of assistance for the bowlers.

Steyn, who was returning to the side 14 months after he suffered a shoulder injury against Australia in Perth, left the field having bowled 17.3 overs and went for scans on an injured heel.

South African team manager Mohammed Moosajee confirmed Steyn's worst fears as he now faces four to six weeks on the sidelines with tissue damage after landing awkwardly in his delivery stride.

The injury means he will likely miss the rest of the India Tests and a full six-week absence will have him back to full fitness in late February, just before the start of Australia's four-Test series against the Proteas on March 1.

Even without Steyn, the hosts boast one of the most imposing pace attacks in the game and they proved too much for India in their first innings.

Steyn was partnered by Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Kagiso Rabada, with impressive spinner Keshav Maharaj offering a point of difference.

Philander's recent improvement with the bat has allowed the Proteas to bat him at No.7 and field a five-man bowling attack, with wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock batting at No.6.

It's the first time a side has fielded a four-man pace attack with 100-plus wickets each since West Indies quartet Joel Garner, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Colin Croft in the early 1980s.

"Dale landed awkwardly in foot-holes during his delivery stride in his 18th over today," Dr Moosajee said.

"This caused a significant strain to the foot, leading to tissue damage on the underside of the foot in the heel area. He is unlikely to bowl further in this Test match because the recovery period could be anything from four to six weeks, which means he is likely to miss the remainder of the series against India.

"We have contacted one of the leading foot and ankle surgeons attached to Cricket South Africa’s medical committee to have a look at him tomorrow to give us an opinion going forward. It’s important to note that this unfortunate injury was freakish because of the way the foot landed in the foot-holes and it is no way related to his bowling loads or not being match ready."

Steyn had taken 2-51 runs in the first innings, taking his career total of Test wickets to 419, two short of Shaun Pollock’s all-time South African record.

Steyn, 34, has played in only six of South Africa’s most recent 27 Test matches and has broken down in four of them. 

He suffered a groin injury in the first Test of a series in India in November 2016, then had a shoulder injury against England in December that year. 

He played in two Tests against New Zealand in August 2016 before his more serious shoulder injury in Australia.