Kagiso Rabada made an explosive return to international cricket on Wednesday. He played a key role in sending South Africa into a place of reverence for the inaugural World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Only six weeks after his suspension for testing positive for a recreational drug, Rabada returned in glory. His five wickets for just 51 runs in 15.4 overs accounted for the evening’s play as the defending champions crumbled to just 212 all out on the first day of the Test.
Rabada’s initial suspension was for three months. Once he completed some educational programs, it was reduced to only one month. This allowed him to rejoin his teammates in time for the highly anticipated final, despite missing part of his multimillion-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) contract. When he finally returned, the crowd jumped to their feet with a huge standing ovation. This extravagant tribute exemplified both his stunning support from fans and his commitment to the sport.
Resuming at 18/1, Rabada made an immediate impact and from the outset, it was evident that Rabada meant business as he took two wickets in the opening session. He celebrated his third wicket by removing Australia captain Pat Cummins. That important milestone was a leap equal to South African great Allan Donald for fourth all-time on the country’s Test wicket list with 330 wickets. Shortly thereafter, Rabada surpassed Donald’s record by dismissing Beau Webster, further cementing his status as one of cricket’s top bowlers.
Rabada’s stranglehold of the Australian batting order shows no sign of letting up. His fifth victim was Mitchell Starc, securing him a five-for and carving his name onto Lord’s honours boards for a second time. His performance not only delighted South African supporters present at the ground but demonstrated his resilience after facing personal challenges.
Asked to reflect on his return and performance, Rabada spoke of the joy of being back in action.
“I’m just happy I could do a job out there. All of us started really well, I just got the rewards today.” – Kagiso Rabada
The South African’s match-winning performance proved key in securing a famous victory over their fancied rivals. As he walked off the pitch after Australia’s innings, Rabada was all smiles while celebrating with his teammates. He deepened their collaboration and underscored how closely their goals aligned.
Even with their early success, Australian captain Steve Smith was the first to admit that his team had to do better. He acknowledged that they missed opportunities to get more runs on the board but said that the wicket was tough on the day, playing tricky all day.
“I think we’re in a good spot. We’ve probably had a few missed opportunities with the bat to try and get a bigger total, but I think the wicket offered something all day.” – Steve Smith
Smith made reference to the tricky bounce of the pitch and wished for some early breakthroughs on Day Two.
“I think the bounce is going to be variable throughout the game…so hopefully we can get a few early wickets in the morning.” – Steve Smith
As the match moves into Day 2, both sides will re-deploy their tactics. They will base their approach on an excellent Rabada showing and the ever-changing conditions of a poor Test match pitch. South Africa attempts to build off their early momentum, and Australia tries to re-collect themselves and get back in the game.
