Kagiso Rabada lays down the law
On the cusp of South Africa’s seventh straight home series win on Saturday‚ Kagiso Rababa laid down the law to future potential invaders.
“We want to make this a fortress‚” said Rababa.
South Africa need to knock off 41 runs on the fourth day of the second Test to claim a series win. It seems a formality.
Before the series Rabada’s captain Faf du Plessis had pleaded for excellence throughout‚ even when a series seems in the bag.
“He mentioned before the series we want to win every series but we also want to be unbeaten‚” said Rabada.
“It is something we want to take forward. Ultimately our goal is to be the number one team in the world.
“We also want to win overseas. That is what the past players have done. Not losing overseas for a long time is something they’ve done. That is important to us too.”
The Newlands pitch had become a major talking point after the second day after Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur labelled it unfit for Test cricket.
“The pitches have done a bit‚” nodded Rabada.
“I also feel when batsmen have applied themselves they’ve scored runs. Right from India‚ to Australia to Pakistan.
"It shows that when you are prepared to fight in the middle you will get runs. Faf got a 100. Aiden (Markram) and Temba (Bavuma) got 70s. A 50 from Quinton (de Kock).”
Rabada also listed some Pakistan batsmen who have been in the runs in the series.
“There have been runs‚" he said.
"It shouldn’t be easy to score runs in Test cricket. It shows if you knuckle down you can score runs. I don’t think the wickets have been too bad but that’s just my opinion.”
He admits he had misdiagnosed the pitch after calling it dull before the opening day.
“I actually didn’t get a really good look at the pitch‚" he said.
"We just saw it from the change room and it looked a little brown.
"We thought it would be a toil. We got that wrong. Once I saw the pitch the next day at training I thought ‘Hmmm’. I thought ‘whatever’.”
South Africa were left tantalisingly short of a Test series win after Pakistan hung on grimly late on Saturday.
It made for some bizarre cricket as the hosts seemed desperate to bring a close to the match. “Nothing like that has happened before‚” said Rabada.
“Dale (Steyn) was bowling off a quarter run-up. The dramatic no-ball. And for all of that to happen we decided not to have a bat.
“The captain and the coach made the decision.
"They felt batting five overs trying to get 41 runs was not worth it. We just come tomorrow and knock them off.”