South African legendary bowler Dale Steyn termed Kagiso Rabada's spell in the WTC 2025 finals as ‘outstanding’ and hailed him as an opportunist who never fails to capitalize on the moments.
Rabada’s Swing and Precision Earn Steyn’s Praise
Former South African bowler Dale Steyn, who was part of the JioHostar commentary team, gave high praise to Kagiso Rabada and his bowling efforts in the ongoing WTC Finals 2025. He termed his first-innings spell of 5/52 as outstanding. Steyn highlighted Rabada’s ability to swing the ball and his consistent line and length to attack the stump line. Kagiso Rabada, who has 334 Test wickets, recently surpassed Allan Donald as the 4th highest wicket-taker for South Africa in Tests.
"He (Rabada) got the ball to swing well. It started with Alex Carey playing a poor first-ball shot to Keshav Maharaj—he did not need to play that. There was a sweeper out too. His dismissal opened up an end, and then Rabada came in and did what he does best—picked up wickets. Jansen also found swing and attacked the stumps, much like Australia did later. Australia actually took a leaf out of South Africa's book. Rabada, once he senses an opportunity, goes for the kill. He is just a fantastic bowler. When he retires, we will truly be able to talk about his greatness, but on Day 1, he was outstanding," Steyn, a JioStar expert, said.
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Starc’s Sharp Spell Draws Praise from Dale Steyn
Steyn also acknowledged Mitchell Starc’s effortless bowling with the new ball. He admires his swing and described his smart setup to get rid of Aiden Markram for a duck in the first innings.
"He is really quick through the air, and I certainly think he rushes a lot of batsmen. When you are a bit nervous and your feet are not moving the way you want—just like Aiden Markram—he was caught in the crease, unsure whether to go forward or not. Starc had already gone past the bat a few times, maybe even beaten him on the inside edge once or twice."
South African legend also highlighted the Aussie quick’s temperament during his 2/10 spell with the new ball, and he lauded his consistency in this format.
“He has done it before, he believes he can do it again and when he does, it becomes a habit. He also builds a reputation. He gets the backing of his captain. We know how he is going to do it, and if you look at his wickets, they are all very similar," he concluded.”
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Australia in Control Heading into Day 3
As things stand, it was stumps on Day 2 and Australia have a healthy lead of 218 runs. With 2 wickets in hand, they can still push for 20 more runs when they come out to bat on Day 3, with Mitchell Starc on 16 (47) and Nathan Lyon on 1 (4).
The game is currently with Australia, and the Proteas should be looking to wrap things up soon to keep the target as low as possible to get a chance to chase in the bowling-friendly conditions at Lord’s in the WTC Finals 2025. Stay tuned for more updates on the WTC Finals 2025.
For More Live Updates of SA vs AUS WTC Final 2025: Day 2
