Cape Town: South African veteran pacer Dale Steyn will not take further part in the ongoing first Test against India due to a left heel injury which has forced him to miss the next two matches of the series.

"During Dale's 18th over, he landed awkwardly in the footholds, causing significant strain in the foot, leading to tissue damage on the underside of the foot in the heel area," South Africa team manager Doctor Mohammad Moosajee, who is also a medical doctor, said.

"He is unlikely to bowl in this Test match because the recovery period could be anything from four to six weeks," he added.

Steyn has been ruled out of the series and it is unlikely that he is going to bat in South Africa's second innings.

"At the moment it's quite tender and extremely uncomfortable to run. Obviously with some anti-inflammatories and rest overnight, who knows how he might turn up tomorrow. But at this stage he's unlikely to be able to run and we would probably like him to be non-weight-bearing," said Dr. Moosajee.

The report also states that Steyn could be even out for 4-6 weeks, and possibly out of series.

Steyn, 34, had not played in a first-class match since suffering a fractured shoulder in a Test in Australia in November 2016.