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Rabada’s Absence Looms Large as South Africa Stumble Against Bumrah Brilliance
The opening day of the Test match at Eden Park became a stark illustration of the value of world-class fast bowling—and the devastating impact of its absence. While South Africa’s coach, Shukri Conrad, had recently highlighted Kagiso Rabada as the squad’s sole “superstar,” the team was forced to navigate challenging conditions without their ace, who was sidelined due by a rib injury.
Rabada’s non-appearance was the defining narrative for South Africa, who were bowled out for a meager 159 by a masterclass from India’s pace attack, led by the peerless Jasprit Bumrah.
Bumrah Dominance Cracks South Africa
India’s fast bowling spearhead, the officially ranked world No. 1 pacer, put on a scintillating display that validated his elite status.
Early Breakthroughs: Bumrah swiftly dismantled a well-set opening partnership of 57 by delivering a magnificent delivery that clipped Ryan Rickelton’s off stump. Just moments later, he produced a vicious bouncer that leapt off the pitch, taking the shoulder of Aiden Markram’s bat for a catch.
Wrecking Ball Performance: The early collapse triggered a stunning batting failure, with South Africa losing 10 wickets for only 102 runs, and the final five wickets falling for a mere 13 runs.
The Final Tally: Bumrah returned to clean up the tail, finishing with a sensational haul of 5 wickets for just 27 runs. Support came from Mohammad Siraj and spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who claimed crucial wickets, but the day belonged to the Indian quick.
Batting coach Ashwell Prince acknowledged the difficulty of facing such quality bowling on a challenging, inconsistent surface, stating, “KG is a world-class bowler… He’ll definitely be missed on that surface because it’s aiding the fast bowlers.”
The Rabada Factor: A History of Presence
The conversation naturally turned to the immense void left by Rabada, whose statistical record underscores his rare dedication to his country’s cause.
Test Match Reliability: Since his international debut, Rabada has featured in an extraordinary 80.22% of South Africa’s Test matches (73 out of 91).
Workhorse Status: He has bowled more Test overs (2,239.2) and taken more Test wickets (340) for South Africa during his career span than any other teammate. His Test bowling average of 22.03 is also among the best for any bowler with significant experience.
A Contrasting Workload: While Rabada is an ever-present force, India’s star, Bumrah, has a more selective workload, featuring in 49.02% of India’s possible Tests and 45.82% of their matches across all formats combined—a testament to Rabada’s endurance and central importance to the Proteas’ team balance.
Looking Ahead to Day Two
India capitalized fully on the bowling conditions and the early close, finishing the day well-placed to secure a large first-innings lead. South Africa’s hope now rests on their remaining bowlers finding similar help from the pitch on Saturday and the batsmen delivering a vastly improved effort in the second innings.
The Test series now eagerly awaits Rabada’s return, scheduled potentially for the subsequent match in Guwahati.
Image Credits : cricbuzz
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