South Africa’s fast bowler Kagiso Rabada entered the series against Australia with an ominous two-Test ban hanging over his head and on Friday, he continued to tread that fine line with an aggressive send-off of the Australian captain Steve Smith.
Rabada currently has five demerit points to his name, having picked up a third sanction by the ICC in the past 12 months with his send-off of India’s opener Shikhar Dhawan in the fifth match of their ODI series last month.
During the 2nd Test match being played at Port Elizabeth, it was the final delivery of the 52nd over. A good length delivery angled down to the stumps as Smith missed the flick shot. A rare miss from the world number one Test batsman and Rabada got it right. The ball struck his pad in line with the middle stump and a loud appeal followed in. Umpire raised his finger as Rabada exhaled a scream to celebrate the big wicket. That was surely a big scalp, an important one, and ergo the celebration, but the shoulder-to-shoulder touch that followed in, did that justify? Seemed deliberate.
Rabada celebrated with a vocal in-your-face reaction and nudged the Aussie skipper’s shoulder as he walked past him to his teammates as Smith looked decidedly unimpressed.
Here’s the video:
Will Proteas star Kagiso Rabada find himself in trouble for this incident on day one? #SAvAUS pic.twitter.com/fqvFIx8ogZ
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) March 9, 2018
Steve Smith’s dismissal:
That was so out. Bowler knew it. Umpire knew it but the batsman was in denial. Watch how Steve Smith got out. #PaceOff (India only) https://t.co/CUg5akkrvU
— Sony LIV (@SonyLIV) March 9, 2018
