"Bit Of An Aging Team": South Africa Pacer Kagiso Rabada's Honest Take On Australia After WTC Final Triumph
South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada has said that the World Test Championship title triumph was made all the more memorable because his team was "fairly inexperienced" and yet pulled off a remarkable win against an Australian side packed with stalwarts. The Proteas, under skipper Temba Bavuma, ended a 27-year-long drought for an ICC trophy by defeating Australia in the WTC final at Lord's recently with Rabada taking nine wickets in the match. "We are a fairly inexperienced team who got together about a year ago, we have not been with each other for a long time, and we have gone on and produced this. I'll never forget this in my life, none of the boys will forget this," Rabada told the ICC.
The South African mainstay, who rose to the occasion and stamped his authority as the leader of a talented pace attack, added that defeating an Australian side, whose cricketers his young players had been adoring since childhood days, had made the triumph even more special.
"Australia are a well accustomed team and with all due respect, a bit of an aging team. Some of those guys were playing when we were still in high school. If you put into perspective for the younger players what that's like. It is special, it hasn't sunk in.
"This has given us confidence we can do it again," added Rabada, who moved past Allan Donald into fourth on South Africa's all-time list of Test wicket-takers.
Despite playing a pivotal role in South Africa's triumph, Rabada said he would like to share the credit with fellow players.
"I don't see myself as a star. I see myself as someone willing to work, give my blood for this team and continue working hard and improving. That's me as a cricketer, always wanting to improve and playing for the badge with a lot of pride. That's the way I'd like to see everyone play.
"Every game I play, I'm looking to get wickets. I'm not going to go into the game thinking 'I need to get seven wickets for us to win', I look at it as an opportunity to get as many wickets as I can to help the team," added Rabada, who retains the highest strike rate (38.9) for any bowler with more than 150 scalps in the format.
Rabada, who had a 5-for in the first innings and followed it up with more potent bowling in the second, added that while bowling in the second innings was challenging and with fatigue setting in, he tried to go about his business in a calm manner.
"I've been working extremely hard, those second innings spells are the ones that count a lot more -- when you are a bit tired and behind in the game.
"It was just about staying calm and looking at what was in front of us. All mayhem broke loose, we got five wickets in I don't know how many overs, it was a crazy game of cricket.
"There are normally two voices in your head - one that doubts and one that believes. That is the one we keep feeding, especially in big moments like this, the World Test Championship final. That is why you saw the performances you saw. It is testament to our team this season."
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