Ricky Ponting, the former Australian captain, praised Kagiso Rabada for his remarkable five-wicket haul at Lord’s during the first day of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final between South Africa and Australia. This performance earned Rabada a spot on the Lord’s Honours Board, and he also surpassed Allan Donald’s Test wicket record for South Africa.
Ponting was impressed by Rabada’s performance, pointing out that it mirrored his display during South Africa’s Test against England at the same venue in 2022. Ponting compared Rabada’s recent achievements to those of his former teammate, Glenn McGrath, who also had a successful career at the famous ground. “Glenn McGrath was also exactly the same at Lord’s,” Ponting stated.
Ponting highlighted McGrath’s love for bowling at Lord’s and his ability to use the ground’s slope from both ends. He emphasized that star players must perform in significant matches. Rabada has taken 18 wickets in three matches at Lord’s, with an average of 16.83, and has two five-wicket hauls, the most by a South African bowler. McGrath, on the other hand, secured 26 wickets in three matches, with an average of 11.50 and best figures of 8/38.
Ponting also spoke about Rabada’s recent challenges off the field and expressed confidence that Rabada would want to lead the team and perform well. Ponting advised the Australian batsmen to make the most of the batting conditions in their second innings.