Rabada missed South Africa’s 30-run victory in the first test at Eden Gardens after sustaining a rib bone stress injury in training ahead of the game and will not be ready for the start of the second test on Saturday.
South Africa had called up seamer Lungi Ngidi earlier this week in anticipation of Rabada’s absence and he will be in contention to play.
"We will finalise the starting 11 tomorrow when we have had a look at the wicket, but it looks a little bit fresher than Kolkata with a bit more grass on the wicket, so that suggests it will play a bit better," captain Temba Bavuma told reporters on Friday.
"It will be more of a traditional sub-continent wicket, good for batting in the first few days and then the spinners will come into it.
"The first innings becomes crucial from a batting point of view to really set the game up. You always want to win the toss, you know the advantage of batting on day one and two."
Bavuma said there would be no thoughts of playing for a draw to claim the series win.
"Any test you play you want to win and it is no different here. We want to play from the front and not try protect the lead we have," he said.
Rabada will also miss the three one-day internationals and five Twenty20 matches against India that follow the test series as he begins a four-week rehabilitation programme.
India announced on Friday that they will be without captain Shubman Gill for the second test.