Rabada sets up Proteas win
Port Elizabeth (South Africa), March 12: Kagiso Rabada tore through Australia in another spell of furious fast-bowling on Monday to put South Africa level in the series in what’s likely to be his final act of the series.
The 22-year-old fast bowler took his match total to 11 wickets with 654 in Australia’s second innings, opening the fourth day by blasting out Mitchell Marsh’s off stump in the first over to set up South Africa’s sixwicket win at St George’s Park.
Yet Rabada went from main attraction and Man-Of-The-Match in Port Elizabeth to a noshow for the final two Tests of a tense series in Cape Town and Johannesburg after he was found guilty of two disciplinary charges for aggressive celebrations of Australian wickets and banned for two Tests.
The first charge, for bumping into Australia captain Steve Smith after getting him out in the first innings earned Rabada the two-Test ban after he crossed a threshold for disciplinary demerit points.
Rabada contested that charge but was still found guilty. He pleaded guilty to another charge of screaming in the face of David Warner after dismissing him in the second innings.
“I’ve let myself down and let the team down,” Rabada said, calling his Man-Of-The-Match performance at St. George’s Park “bittersweet.”
Rabada took the first three wickets of the fourth day to hurry the Australians out for 239 and another batting failure in their second innings.
South Africa clinched its win by chasing down the target of 101 before tea on the fourth day. It wasn’t straightforward, with Australia removing Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers in quick succession to have the South Africans 81-4.
South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis took control to see his team home with Theunis de Bruyn.
The South African victory stops Australia’s momentum from a win in the first test in Durban and gives the home team a chance of a first home series win over the Aussies since 1970.
Australia has been dominant in South Africa since the end of apartheid, winning five series and drawing its other two. But the tables turned in a series between the two closelymatch teams.