Kagiso Rabada returned to Test cricket after a hamstring injury sidelined him since May, missing South Africa’s opening defeat to Australia at Durban where the visitors won by 214 runs. The 31-year-old pacer made his comeback at St George’s Park in the second Test, taking six wickets as South Africa levelled the series with an innings and 31-run victory. His performance set the stage for a series-deciding third Test at Newlands, where his intensity against Australia reached another level.
Legendary South African fast bowler Allan Donald observed that Rabada displays a markedly different competitive edge when facing Australia. Donald, who experienced similar intensity during his own playing career, highlighted how Rabada’s absence in the opening Test had left a noticeable void in South Africa’s attack.
“I think there’s a different fire in the belly that burns when KG plays for South Africa against Australia. It can be Australia; it can be England. There is definitely a difference when KG walks on the field,” Donald said to Hindustan Times.
What did Donald observe about Rabada’s intensity against Australia?
Donald drew parallels with his own experience of representing South Africa against top opponents. He emphasised the personal commitment that drives elite fast bowlers when their country faces setbacks.
“I’ve experienced it too. You just never want to leave or let your teammates, family, or country down,” Donald said.
The impact of Rabada’s return became evident when South Africa faced Australia in the second Test at Cape Town. Donald noted how the pacer’s presence immediately elevated the team’s performance and intensity.
“In that first Test, you just felt KG’s absence. When he came back in Cape Town, the intensity lifted. He’s just one of those players. You leave a Shane Warne or a Glenn McGrath out of an Australian team, and that leaves a hole,” Donald said.
At Newlands in the series-deciding encounter, Rabada’s bowling demonstrated the venom and pace that Donald described. In the second innings, he removed Matt Renshaw with a delivery caught by Ryan Rickelton down the leg side off the opening ball, then dismissed Marnus Labuschagne lbw for four in the same over. Travis Head fell caught at gully by Marco Jansen in the seventh over, as Rabada finished with three wickets for 39 runs.
How did Rabada’s performance shape the series-deciding Test?
Donald highlighted the exceptional pace and aggression Rabada brought to his spell. The legendary pacer noted that Rabada’s bowling speeds reached 145 to 148 kilometres per hour, reflecting his physical condition and competitive hunger.
“The amount of venom that he bowled with in that second innings. His pace was up at 145 to 148,” Donald said.
South Africa’s 176-run victory in the third Test secured a 2-1 series win over Australia. During this match, Rabada achieved a significant personal milestone when he claimed his 350th Test wicket. The achievement came in his 75th Test match and across 13,808 deliveries, making him the fastest bowler to reach the mark in terms of balls bowled. This was 911 fewer deliveries than Dale Steyn required to reach the same milestone.
Rabada became the fourth South African to reach 350 Test wickets, joining Dale Steyn, Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini in this exclusive group. His record-breaking pace to the milestone underscores his consistency and durability as a fast bowler. Earlier in the series against Australia, Rabada had taken 11 wickets in a match at St George’s Park in 2018 following another defeat in Durban, demonstrating his pattern of responding with intensity when his team faced setbacks against the Australians.
Donald emphasised Rabada’s physical attributes and his unwavering passion to defeat Australia. The former South African captain noted that despite his impressive wicket tally, Rabada remained in peak physical condition and continued to bowl with the hunger of a player at the height of his powers.
“He already has 350 wickets and still looks like a spring chicken. Not many realise that he’s a big man. Six foot three and a half, four. Just an amazing athlete. And his passion to beat Australia absolutely showed,” Donald said.
