Proteas without batter Theunis de Bruyn for third and final Test against Australia

The Proteas will be without batter Theunis de Bruyn for the third and final Test against Australia as he returns home for the birth of his first child.

The 30-year-old was not selected for the first Test loss in Brisbane but was drafted into the side in place of Rassie van der Dussen and scored 12 and 28 as the tourists slipped to a crushing innings-and-182-run defeat to surrender the series.

The Proteas will now have to make at least one change to a fragile batting line-up that has only gone past a total 200 once in last eight innings.

De Bruyn's absence could mean a recall for Van der Dussen or reserve wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen could also be drafted in for the final Test thats starts on Wednesday.

First-choice keeper Kyle Verreynne is the leading scorer for the Proteas in Australia with 149 runs having made half-centuries in Brisbane and Melbourne.

Temba Bavuma is the only other batter into three figures overall with 133 runs after scoring 65 in the second innings of the second Test.