During the World Test Championship final, Kagiso Rabada was engaged in a mental struggle between belief and doubt rather than bat and ball. And he decided to believe.
“There are normally two voices in your head, the one that doubts and the one that believes,” he said after the match at Lord’s. “The second is the one that we keep feeding, especially in big moments like this, the World Test Championship final. That’s why you saw the performances you saw. It’s a testament to our team this season.”
During 10 intense Test cricket matches, South Africa’s strategy was characterized by that mentality. After falling to 138 all out, they lost their momentum after getting off to a great start, bowling Australia out for 212. When they pinned Australia at 73 for 7 in the second innings, it was the true turning point.
Shukri Conrad thought it was still on a flattening pitch, but what may have been a chase of less than 200 ended up being 282. He also gave his bowlers, especially Rabada, credit for keeping them in the game.
“Where did we turn it around? Obviously, that bowling performance,” Conrad said. “We could easily have fallen asleep in the field and then they would have gotten away from us in a big way. As for KG—that’s why he’s the superstar. He knew we had one chance at it.”
Rabada disagrees with that description. He declared, “I don’t see myself as a star,” despite his record to the contrary. He has the highest strike rate among bowlers with more than 200 wickets in history and ranks fourth on South Africa’s all-time list of wicket-takers.
“I see myself as someone who’s willing to 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,” he said. “I’ve been working extremely hard, and those second-innings spells, those are the ones that count more, when you’re a bit tired. You could be behind the game, or you could be ahead of the game. This time, we’re behind the game. But I think it was just about staying calm and looking at what’s in front of us. That’s the way I see myself.”
This squad is a group of friends as well as professionals. Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, and Rabada attended the same Johannesburg school. David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne went to the same one in Cape Town. Since Rabada’s career began, he and Bavuma have been domestic colleagues.
Additionally, in 2014, Rabada and Aiden Markram won the U19 World Cup together. If not for injury, Lungi Ngidi would have also been included in that team.
Ngidi deserves special mention. While Rabada struck early in Australia’s second innings, Ngidi ran through the middle order with a nine-over spell that brought three crucial wickets. It was the comeback Conrad had hoped for when he selected Ngidi for “bounce, seam and swing movement,” as he put it. “And he delivered.”
After Ngidi’s rough first innings, Rabada didn’t offer criticism—he offered comfort. “He had a milkshake, he had a steak, he watched a movie and he came back,” Rabada laughed. That’s the kind of camaraderie this team shares, and Rabada clearly sees Ngidi not as a junior but as an equal.
This sense of fraternity permeates the organization. They are now enjoying the fruits of their labor after growing up in the spotlight and gaining valuable experience on the largest platforms. With two more Test matches in Zimbabwe to come, South Africa’s victory streak might reach ten. It currently stands at eight, their greatest ever.
More significantly, they have won their first trophy that has the word “world” in it.
There is an increasing conviction that this core will prioritize South Africa even as elite talent is drawn to T20 leagues. And in terms of influence, energy, and effort, Rabada is at the forefront of that movement.
“I’ll never forget this in my life. None of the boys will forget this in their lives,” he said. “Playing against Australia, they’re a well-accustomed team, a bit of an ageing team, with all due respect. Some of those guys were playing when we were still in high school. So this is special, special, special. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I can’t really describe.”
That feeling, Rabada’s feeling, is exactly what many South Africans are trying to put into words right now.
