Having a go at Rabada? Well, it is a Test after all

IT HASN’T taken the Australians long to fire a few shots across the Proteas’ bow.

Kagiso Rabada has enjoyed the limelight since exploding on to the scene three years ago, but he’ll face scrutiny of a different kind Down Under.

Peter Siddle reckoned this week Rabada would be targeted by the Australians, who believe him to be the the weak point in South Africa’s attack. It is, of course, all mind games – part of the journey for any young cricketer and especially one who has made the kind of impression Rabada has since making his senior international debut. Siddle and his Australian counterparts know Rabada is a valuable part of the South African attack, so they are going to try and turn the heat up on him in the build up to the first Test.

And in that Perth Test they will most probably look to get after him too, expose him and make him feel uncomfortable – it’s called ‘Test’ cricket for a reason.

However, Siddle’s pre-series sledging is in another respect very welcome, too.

It suggests a sort of normalcy ahead of a big series that looked to be in danger of being absent in the wake of last week’s inquest into the death of Phil Hughes two years ago.

Australian cricket and the way play is conducted, was placed firmly under the spotlight.

It made for uncomfortable reading and sparked a heated debate across Australian websites and on talk shows in that country.

It is very much in keeping with how the game is played there that an examination of technical skills is not all that occurs.

Putting the opposing player’s mental toughness under scrutiny is a vital part of the game.

Naturally, there have been times they’ve overstepped the mark and as Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers have pointed out, some of what was said when they toured South Africa in 2014, was simply vile.

Matthew Wade wasn’t that during the ODI series here, he was just plain silly and trying to live up to his captain’s pre-series request for the players to play with their chests out in the manner of an Australian cricketer.

Steve Smith will demand that again ahead of the Perth Test, but there’ll also be a cautionary tone given that what emerged at the Hughes inquest is still so fresh in many people’s minds.

Du Plessis said he won’t be asking his players to mind their ways in the build up to the Waca, trusting that in terms of their own character, they are decent people.

“It’s all relevant to the personalities we have in the team and the players we have now are generally good guys,” said Du Plessis.

The series will hopefully be hard fought, there should be some spiciness, but above all, we all want to see a good sporting contest.