Rabada Goes BANG at Lord’s — Leaves Aussies & Doubters Shell-Shocked
Let’s be honest — South Africa walking into the World Test Championship Final had raised a few eyebrows, even a few well-lubricated pub debates across both hemispheres. Most of their wins had come at home, in short series, against B-grade lineups. Enter: Kagiso Rabada.
And not just any Rabada. A Rabada who hadn’t bowled a red ball in months and was coming off a suspension for testing positive to cocaine earlier this year. Talk about turning turbulence into triumph.
With the clouds hanging low over Lord’s, Rabada bowled an opening spell that had Usman Khawaja rethinking his life choices. Maiden. Maiden. Maiden. And then — whack — a wicket in the fourth over. From that moment, the momentum was Protean.
“That wasn’t my best moment,” Rabada said of the suspension. “Now life moves on. Every game I play for South Africa, I try to do my best.”
— via The Guardian
Kagiso Rabada – Lord of the Lords
| Statistic | Rabada’s Numbers |
|---|---|
| Overs Bowled | 18 |
| Runs Conceded | 57 |
| Wickets Taken | 5 |
| Career Test Wickets Total | 332 (now 4th for SA) |
| Economy Rate | 3.16 |
| Wickets at Lord’s (2nd Five-for) | 10+ |
Oh, and that 332 number? It nudges him ahead of Allan Donald, planting him firmly in SA fast bowling royalty territory.
Aussie Batters: Confused, Bamboozled & Beaten
- Khawaja: Gone before he got started. Classic outside edge stuff.
- Green: Fell to a beauty — edge, cordon, celebration.
- Smith & Webster: Survived Rabada’s chaos spells, but just barely. Smith copped some chin music. Webster looked like he was facing sorcery disguised as seam.
Rabada’s best delivery? One that hit Webster’s back leg while seemingly going middle-middle, only to be saved by the faintest of bat noises. “Did he hit it?” asked Bavuma. Mate, we’re still not sure.
WTC Final – So Far, So Rabada
While Australia recovered thanks to Beau Webster’s gritty 72, Rabada’s opening and closing spells gave South Africa their best moments on a day where 14 wickets fell.
Add to that the fact Rabada owns the best bowling figures at Lord’s in this match (again), and it’s safe to say Stuart Broad’s consulting stint with SA wasn’t wasted.
“He’s always up for the challenge,” Steve Smith said. “And his record speaks for itself.”
Rabada on Pressure, Expectations and Bowling with a Target on Your Back:
“Being an athlete is all about managing pressure. As a bowler, it’s just about line and length. Everything else? Just noise.”
— Kagiso Rabada
