Kagiso Rabada gets by with a little help from his Proteas friends

The plush gardens of the South African High Commissioner’s residence in Kensington hosted the first of what will likely be many celebrations of the world Test champions on Sunday evening.

The Test mace was on display, there was another rendition of Oh Temba Bavuma — accompanied with banging on the tables for effect — pictures were taken and stories were swapped or retold.

Kagiso Rabada was sought after, as usual. He’s been the Proteas' bona fide superstar in the last few years, backing up that status with world-class performances across formats and around the globe. He finished the five-wicket World Test Championship final victory against Australia with match figures of 9/110, that included a first-innings five-wicket haul — his second at Lord’s. 

But this time he had to share the spotlight.

“Every game that I play, I look to get wickets. I don’t 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 as I can to make an impact for the team. I know I won’t do it alone, I back all my teammates,” he said.

On a number of occasions last season, Rabada expressed how much he enjoyed being part of the current Proteas team because he gets to play with his friends — players like Ryan Rickelton, Bavuma, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram and Wiaan Mulder — who he played with, and against, while still at school. 

The suspension for testing positive for cocaine was long forgotten and his teammates, who he addressed about that incident at the Proteas' training camp in Arundel before they came to London, had given him the support that allowed him to put that controversy behind him. 

On Sunday evening they got to share the spotlight — and Rabada loved it. 

“I don’t see myself as a star. I’m willing to give my blood for this team. I want to continue to work hard and to improve. That’s me as a cricketer. I play for the badge, with a lot of pride. It’s the way I want to see everyone play,” he said. 

While he, Markram and Bavuma must take the majority of plaudits for performances in line with their senior status in the team, the five-wicket win wasn’t down to them alone. 

Mulder took a catch, a wicket and scored 27 runs in a second-wicket partnership with Markram worth 61, which according to coach Shukri Conrad, calmed nerves in the dressing room.

And of course the nine-over spell from the much-maligned Ngidi, in which he ripped out the heart of the Australian batting order, changed the course of the match. 

Rabada confirmed his good friend followed his advice after his day 1 nightmare. “He had a steak, watched a movie and drank a milkshake. I don’t know what flavour, though — it doesn’t matter,” he laughed. 

Before that spell, Rabada had relit the flame by dismissing Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green — both for the second time in the match — just before tea.

“Those count more. You’re a bit tired and we were behind in the game,” he said. “It was about staying calm and looking at what is in front of us ... and then all mayhem broke loose when we got five wickets in however many overs — that was just crazy.”

The impact from those who don’t have his superstar status was symbolic of this Proteas group’s attitude, Rabada added. 

“You look at the standout performances and there have been a number of them throughout the entire season. But it’s not only about that. It’s a fairly inexperienced team that got put together about a year ago. We haven’t even been playing with each other for a long time and we produce this — I don’t think that’s normal.”