Rabada confident Proteas can down Aussies in Test final

Kagiso Rabada has helped bowl South Africa to a seventh straight Test victory, before turning his sights on favourites Australia and the World Test Championship final with the promise: “We know how to beat them.”

Rabada has shown again why he will be key to the Proteas’ hopes of lifting the crown at Lord’s in June’s final, taking a six-wicket haul in his side’s 10-wicket, second-Test demolition of Pakistan, a result that again demonstrated how this developing side is knitting together beautifully.

The paceman knows the South Africans will be underdogs against the reigning champions, but, having twice played a big part in winning series against Australia in 2016-17 and 2017-18, Rabada is confident they can pull off a big shock at the home of cricket.

“It’s actually quite some distance away, but a big occasion like the World Test Championship final gets you up for it,” Rabada said on SuperSport after the Test.

“South Africa versus Australia has always been an intense rivalry, because we play cricket quite similar. We play hard - and they’re going to come hard at us, and we know that.

“But we also know how to beat them.

“One hundred per cent, Test cricket is still alive. It’s our best format that we’ve been playing right now.

“When you look at South African cricket and all our legends, they’ve all been great Test cricketers. The world’s best players are Test cricketers, and this series against Pakistan has been a wonderful advertisement for Test cricket, especially in South Africa.”

While Australia will build up to the final with a two-Test series in Sri Lanka at the end of this month and February, South Africa don’t have any five-day matches scheduled before the final, but will look to find opponents in the build-up.

“We’re going to try and get a Test match, possibly in the UK, against an Ireland or Afghanistan, whoever is free. And if unsuccessful, we’ll obviously go out a couple of days earlier, and make sure we camp there really well, probably in Canterbury,” said coach Shukri Conrad.

He was adamant the Lord’s selection for the Proteas would be difficult, with potentially an enviable array of quick bowling options to choose from, such as Rabada, teenager Kwena Maphaka, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Wiaan Mulder, Lizaad Williams and Anrich Nortje.

But perhaps the key to South Africa’s resurgence is the inspirational form of captain Temba Bavuma.

“He’s played unbelievably well this summer, and full marks to him,” Conrad said.

“I think any captain who wants to lead from the front, they want to lead through performance as well, and that’s what Temba’s done exceptionally well.

“He’s not lost a game as captain of South Africa (winning eight out of nine Tests). Leading from the front, turning out the performances he’s had, he’s probably in the form of his life.

“I haven’t seen him play any better, and that obviously gives you a lot of confidence when you’re captaining as well. I wouldn’t want anyone else to be captaining us.”