Stats and rankings mean little to Kagiso Rabada if Proteas don't win

Kagiso Rabada pays little attention to where he is ranked and says all he wants is for the Proteas to win. 

Rabada became the sixth South African bowler to take 300 wickets in the Test format and finished a successful series for the Proteas in Bangladesh, ranked as the No 1 bowler by the International Cricket Council. 

It’s the first time since 2018 Rabada’s been ranked top.

“If I was No 5 or No 3 and we’re winning, I’d be happy. Being No 1 while we're winning makes me more happy. As long as we are winning, that’s the major thing for me,” he said. 

Rabada finished the two-match series with Bangladesh taking 14 wickets, including five wicket hauls in both Tests.

It represented his best performance in the subcontinent as part of the Proteas' first Test series win in the region in a decade. 

“When you see the stats you appreciate it and it makes you more motivated. The key is not to be fixated on that because then you forget the processes and about playing for South Africa.

“We went through a transition phase, when all the GOATS retired, and these guys you see now, including me, were coming through, we were exposed. Now we are coming into a bit of a sweet spot,” he added. 

The Proteas produced two dominant displays, winning the first Test by seven wickets and the second by an innings and 273 runs.

With Rabada’s 14, left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj took 13 wickets highlighting their class, but also the work done by the rest of the attack to assist them.

“You know Kesh and KG are going to take most wickets so you build your attack around how they are going to get those wickets,” said head coach Shukri Conrad. 

“Kesh bowls a hell of a lot of overs so there is more of an even chance of him, on his day, picking up five wicket hauls. With the threat KG poses, you don’t want him bowling in defensive situations, at every turn you want him to look to strike.

“Dane Paterson’s selection [for the second Test] might be questioned, but he’s a workhorse. We knew conditions would be such that if you keep the Bangladesh batters quiet for long enough it allows guys like Kesh and KG to do what they do.”

Paterson picked up three wickets in Chattogram but the additional impact from Senuran Muthusamy, who took five wickets, and Wiaan Mulder who started the series with wickets in each of his first three overs, was also critical.

The Proteas batters scored four centuries in the two Tests, bucking a recent trend in which their hesitancy bred inconsistency and often placed the bowlers under too much pressure. 

“The guys are more open in scoring. There are a lot of scoring options and those options are being executed well,” said Rabada. 

Success in Bangladesh is the result of a strong mentality, something he noticed last summer.

“I was impressed when India came to South Africa [last season], that’s when it struck home for me. The wickets were spicy but you had guys such as Bedders [David Bedingham] and Tony [de Zorzi] putting their hands up in that series.

“Conditions now [in Chattogram] were a bit easier but in that India series when it was tough at Centurion, against a good bowling attack, I realised this group was really up for it.”

Victory in Bangladesh, which Conrad said would boost the belief of a still largely inexperienced team, also keeps South Africa's hopes of securing a spot in the World Test Championship final next year alive.

Victory in three of the four home Tests they play against Sri Lanka and Pakistan over November, December and January will virtually ensure a trip to London.

“You want your fate in your own hands, but that table will be topsy turvy, there are still so many permutations, I’m just glad it’s in our own hands. Now it's all about that first Test in Durban against Sri Lanka and then we will take it from there,” said Conrad.