As Australia aims for consecutive World Test Championship titles, they must contend with a formidable obstacle: Kagiso Rabada. On Monday, he was officially cleared to participate in the decisive match at Lord’s, commencing June 11th.
The South African speedster disclosed on Saturday that he was serving a suspension due to a positive test for “a recreational drug.”
However, just two days later, the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport (SAIDS) confirmed that Rabada had only to undergo a one-month backdated suspension starting from April 1, which is now complete.
For a short time, it seemed Australia’s batsmen might be spared the daunting sight of Rabada charging in at the iconic cricket venue, but that is no longer the case as Pat Cummins and his side prepare for the challenge ahead.
Rabada is not the sole threat in the South African bowling arsenal; left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj maintains a commendable Test record, and the impressive left-arm fast bowler Marco Jansen has begun his career on a high note. Nevertheless, Rabada remains the key hurdle for Australia.
Kagiso Rabada in action at the Gabba in December 2022. Getty
In the 2010s, the Proteas benefitted from a stellar fast-bowling lineup featuring Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Vernon Philander, Rabada, and, to a lesser extent, Kyle Abbott.
Rabada, now 29, remains the only one from that legendary group still competing in Test cricket. While Jansen has accrued 73 wickets at an average of 21.76 and a strike-rate of 37.4 from 17 Tests, concerns linger about South Africa’s fast-bowling depth beyond their two chief quicks.
Rabada’s track record in Test cricket is nothing short of impressive.
Across 70 Tests, he has claimed 327 wickets at an average of 22.00.
Among the 86 bowlers in history who have taken 200 or more Test wickets, Rabada boasts an unparalleled strike-rate of 39.44. The next best is India’s Jasprit Bumrah, who reaches his victims at an average of 42.09 balls, followed by Steyn (42.38), Waqar Younis (43.49), Cummins (46.31), Malcolm Marshall (46.76), Allan Donald (47.02), Mitchell Starc (48.52), and Fred Trueman (49.43).
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Within the current World Test Championship cycle from 2023 to 2025, Rabada has played 10 Tests, during which he has amassed 47 wickets at an average of 19.97 and a strike-rate of 37.89.
Against Australia, he has taken 49 wickets over 10 Tests at an average of 23.08 and a strike-rate of 39.9.
In England, where South Africa aims to reclaim the mace from Australia, he has claimed 30 Test wickets at an average of 26.06 and a strike-rate of 41.8.
Interestingly, none of the Australian bowlers selected for the World Test Championship final—Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Lyon, or Boland—have recorded a five-wicket haul at Lord’s.
Rabada has, and his name is inscribed on the Lord’s honour boards confirming it.
Kagiso Rabada greets a crowd in Centurion in December 2023. Getty
He made headlines in 2022, tearing through the English batting line-up with figures of 5-52 during the English summer.
The ICC rankings highlight Rabada’s brilliance alongside a noticeable lack of depth in South African bowling; he sits second in the Test bowling standings, trailing only Bumrah and ahead of all Australian bowlers. Jansen joins Rabada in the top 10, while Maharaj is the only other Protea in the top 42.
Rabada’s history with Australian cricket is intriguing.
During his inaugural Test tour of Australia in the summer of 2016-17, Rabada clinched victory for South Africa in Perth with a stunning fourth-innings performance, taking 5-92. His victims included Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith, Adam Voges, Mitch Marsh, and Starc.
Faf du Plessis (left) and Kagiso Rabada at a press conference after the 2016-17 Perth Test between South Africa and Australia, dominated by a 21-year-old Rabada. Getty
On Australia’s 2018 tour of South Africa, tensions flared not just from the ball-tampering scandal but also from Rabada’s fiery temperament. He dismissed Steve Smith in Port Elizabeth, delivering a charged send-off and physically bumping into the then Australian captain. This resulted in a two-match ban, which was later overturned on appeal, allowing him to participate in the Cape Town Test shortly after.
Former Australian Test skipper Tim Paine also recently voiced his concerns regarding the management of Rabada’s drug ban.
As the stage at Lord’s is set, South Africa counts on Rabada, while Australia braces for the encounter.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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