How Kagiso Rabada silenced doubters wth a fiery five-for at Lord’s?

Just six weeks ago, Kagiso Rabada found himself on the sidelines of international cricket due to a suspension. On Wednesday, the South African pace spearhead was receiving a standing ovation at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. Rabada’s sensational 5-wicket haul, 5 for 51 in 15.4 overs, dismantled defending champions Australia for a modest 212 on the opening day of the ICC World Test Championship final.

“It feels like a home game,” Rabada said after his heroics. “I`m just happy I could do a job out there. All of us started really well, I just got the rewards today.”

Rabada’s performance not only set the tone for South Africa’s challenge in the final, but also brought him personal milestones. He made an early impact with two key wickets in the morning session, but it was his spell after tea that truly lit up Lord’s. His third scalp, clean bowling Australian captain Pat Cummins, saw him tie with the legendary Allan Donald at 330 Test wickets.

Moments later, dismissing Beau Webster, he overtook Donald to move into fourth place on South Africa’s all-time Test wicket-takers list. His final victim, Mitchell Starc, sealed his five-wicket haul and earned him a second entry on the prestigious Lord’s honours board.

“You always felt on this wicket, any ball had their name on it,” Rabada remarked, acknowledging the challenging conditions for batters throughout the day.

The applause from the South African supporters in the stands was thunderous each time Rabada returned to the boundary after a bowling spell. The crowd’s energy and support visibly lifted the 29-year-old, who had been through a testing period earlier in the year.

In January, Rabada tested positive for a recreational drug and admitted to the offence. Although he was initially handed a three-month suspension, his participation in educational programs reduced the ban to just one month, served during April, in the midst of the Indian Premier League. Despite some criticism over the perceived leniency, Cricket South Africa stood firmly behind their premier pacer, preparing him for possible backlash in the high-stakes WTC final.

If any negativity was directed at him, it was drowned out by the cheers that echoed around Lord’s following his match-turning performance.

Reflecting on the episode before departing for London, Rabada had said, “The biggest thing I took away from it is having gratitude for playing the game that we love. I`m just glad to be playing again.”

South Africa, too, will be glad he’s back, and firing on all cylinders.

(With AP inputs)

This article first appeared on Mid Day