Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Kagiso Rabada has performed plenty of heroics for his country, earning a reputation as a fearsome bowler with more than 300 test wickets, but rarely has he delivered as dramatic a performance as he did with the bat on Sunday to take South Africa to a two-wicket win over Pakistan.
Rabada struck an unbeaten 31 as South Africa squeaked through to a dramatic first-test victory at Centurion and ensured themselves a place in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s next June.
Batting at No. 10, Rabada came in just before lunch with his team in dire straits, having slumped from a winning position as they chased a modest target.
South Africa needed 148 runs for victory and despite a nervy start looked on course at 96-4 before a sudden collapse saw them reduced to 99-8 and facing imminent defeat.
But Rabada and Marco Jansen put on an unbeaten 51-run partnership including a host of elegant, flourishing shots that any established batter would have been proud of to haul the team over the line.
The 29-year-old said he had a plan in his head and told Jansen so when he got to the crease.
The pair took the score to 116-8 at lunch, but the odds were still stacked against them with Pakistan requiring only two more wickets and seamer Mohammed Abbas in full flight after taking six wickets in the innings.
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