WTC FINAL, 2025
Kagiso Rabada holds the WTC mace aloft © Getty
South African pacer Kagiso Rabada termed his team’s World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 victory over Australia as “a moment he will never forget”.
Rabada, who claimed a five-fer in the first innings and nine wickets overall in the match at the iconic Lord’s, went past Allan Donald to become the fourth-highest wicket-taker for South Africa in Test cricket at a strike rate of 38.9 which is the highest for any bowler with more than 150 scalps to his name. Rabada, however, hailed it a complete team effort.
“I don’t see myself as a star,” Rabada told ICC. “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. That’s the way I’d like to see everyone play.
“Every game I play, I’m looking to get wickets. I’m not going to go into the game thinking ‘I need to get seven wickets for us to win’, I look at it as an opportunity to get as many wickets as I can to help the team. In saying that, I know I won’t do it alone and I back all the players in the team. You are playing for South Africa for a reason, it’s not by chance.
“We are a fairly inexperienced team who got put 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,” he added.
The leader of the South African pace attack got the ball rolling on the opening day with the crucial strikes of Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green in the same over. His heroics – 5 for 51 – saw him become just the second player in history to get his name etched on the Lord’s honours board in both the home and away dressing rooms.
Rabada followed it up with a 4 for 59 in the second innings – incidentally removing Khawaja and Green in the same over once again in the game – to eventually help restrict Australia to 207 and keep South Africa’s target under 300.
“I’ve been working extremely hard, those second innings spells are the ones that count a lot more – when you are a bit tired and behind in the game,” the 30-year-old said. “It was just about staying calm and looking at what was in front of us. All mayhem broke loose, we got five wickets in I don’t know how many overs, it was a crazy game of cricket.
“There are normally two voices in your head – one that doubts and one that believes. That is the one we keep feeding, especially in big moments like this, the World Test Championship Final. That is why you saw the performances you saw. It is testament to our team this season.”
Rabada’s total tally against Australia now stands at 58 Test wickets at 21.39. Having played a key part in creating history – this was South Africa’s first ICC title in 27 years – the pace spearhead said it felt ‘special’ to beat the defending champions and heavyweights Australia against all odds.
“Australia are a well accustomed team and with all due respect, a bit of an ageing 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,” he concluded.
© Cricbuzz
