SA underdogs with bite? Rabada doesn’t mind it

London: South African pace bowler Kagiso Rabada has said that the World Test Championship title triumph was made all the more memorable because his team was “fairly inexperienced” and yet pulled off a remarkable win against an Australian side packed with stalwarts.

The Proteas, under skipper Temba Bavuma, ended a 27-year-long drought for an ICC trophy by defeating Australia in the WTC final at Lord’s recently with Rabada taking nine wickets in the match.

“We are a fairly inexperienced team who got together about a year ago, we have not been with each other for a long time, and we have gone on and produced this. I’ll never forget this in my life, none of the boys will forget this,” Rabada told the ICC.

The South African mainstay, who rose to the occasion and stamped his authority as the leader of a talented pace attack, added that defeating an Australian side, whose cricketers his young players had been adoring since childhood days, had made the triumph even more special.

“Australia are a well-accustomed team and with all due respect, a bit of an aging team. Some of those guys were playing when we were still in high school. If you put into perspective for the younger players what that’s like. It is special, it hasn’t sunk in.

“This has given us confidence we can do it again,” added Rabada, who moved past Allan Donald into fourth on South Africa’s all-time list of Test wicket-takers.

Despite playing a pivotal role in South Africa’s triumph, Rabada said he would like to share the credit with fellow players. “I don’t see myself as a star. I see myself as someone willing to work, give my blood for this team and continue working hard and improving. That’s me as a cricketer, always wanting to improve and playing for the badge with a lot of pride,” he added.