When watching Kagiso Rabada bowl, one is immediately struck by his effortless nature.
Rabada’s nonchalant approach is characterised by the slow glide to the crease before a quick action, eventually sending the ball nipping off the pitch to dismiss the awaiting batsman.
It is hard not to become fixated by the spectacle of this routine.
A strong sense of excitement fell upon me when news broke on Tuesday evening that he would be free to play the remainder of the series, having maneuvered around an expected ban.
Like most I presume, I felt the whole process was a foregone conclusion – and that Rabada would cop his whack at the expense of both his nation and the larger cricketing fan-base spread throughout the world.
This reversal has appeared to succumb to the preference of the majority wishing to see the young paceman on the main stage for the promised schedule.
For the sake of a captivating series – and the health of the Test format as a whole – it is hard to argue that the decision is not the right one.
The potentially worrying precedent this sets moving forward for cricket is another question altogether.
With this stroke of good fortune, Rabada is again free to impose himself on the Australian batting nucleus.
Along with the ageless AB de Villiers, he has been the dominant presence thus far in a hostile contest. His fiery efforts to dismantle the visitors in Port Elizabeth form a key plank in the rainbow nation’s surge back into the series.
His story has been heavily discussed since the second Test, one that has contributed to an accepted knowledge that what we are witnessing from Rabada is not at all usual.
For someone who still resides within a sense of infancy, both within life and cricket, his performances paint the picture of a seasoned star – not an individual still navigating early adulthood.
(AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
A telling stat, and one which was bandied about following the Proteas six-wicket win, is that he currently has four ten-wicket hauls in Test cricket from a mere 28 matches.
Dale Steyn, who holds the South African record of five, required over 80 fixtures to achieve the feat.
So despite the clear capabilities exuded from the youthful Protea, the concern still lies with his nature on the pitch.
His shoulder brush with Steve Smith looked to be his second suspension from the Test arena in under a year. This after a strong verbal send-off towards Ben Stokes at Lord’s last July.
It features as one of five code of conduct charges in the past 13 months, a trend that, worryingly for the South Africans, continues to grow.
His passion and exuberance in applying his craft are refreshing to some. Rabada’s enthusiasm for taking wickets should be celebrated rather than admonished, according to his skipper, Faf du Plessis.
The ICC (in particular independent QC Michael Heron who was appointed to hear the appeal) perhaps felt the same way on this occasion.
There was remorse shown following the second Test indiscretions. This being a realisation from Rabada himself that a more mature and controlled individual must emerge from Cape Town onwards.
“It’s about managing your emotions and making sure that you follow the rules, (and) not do anything stupid,” he said. “I must obey the rules. I do things because I’m passionate. Sometimes you are bowling against the best players. I guess I shouldn’t really rub it in their faces.”
Some will argue that this fiery playing demeanour only serves to aid an already potent bowling display. And to this point, it may very well be the case that he will continue to straddle the much talked about ‘line’ closely for the remainder of his playing days.
He stated following the contest in Port Elizabeth that he had sought counsel from his father – who is a doctor – in regards to how he should approach his cricket moving forward.
“He told me to relax and talk with the ball,” he said.
We can only hope that from now on we will continue to witness this bowling language uninterrupted.
Regardless of the uncertainty and swell of discussion that his successful appeal has now produced, Rabada will be crafting a new cricketing tale at the Newlands.
One can only be joyous about such a thought.
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