Calcutta: Kagiso Rabada has been spitting fire against Australia in the ongoing Test series. The young South African speedster, in fact, has interestingly managed to win many admirers in the Australian camp with his excellent bowling.
Australians Mitchell Starc, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Darren Lehmann and Brad Haddin have heaped praise on Rabada's ability following the 22-year-old's match-winning haul of 11/150 in the second Test.
But the series will be robbed of the Rabada-Starc contest as the Proteas pacer has been banned for two Tests. Rabada was found guilty of "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player" after leaning with his shoulder into Steve Smith when he dismissed the Australia captain in Port Elizabeth. Cricket South Africa has appealed against the ban though.
Starc says that Rabada will "learn" going forward.
"He's only young and made a couple of mistakes," Starc, himself a fiery pacer who was booked for a series of code-of-conduct violations in the early stages of his career, was quoted as saying in a report on cricket.com.au.
"He's a fantastic bowler to watch when he's in full flight and he's going to keep taking wickets and keep celebrating.
"What's he got now, four 10-fors? Dale (Steyn) has got five in a lot of more Test matches.
"I'm sure he'll learn going forward that you just can't get that close to the batter and the umpires are going to be on you at all times. It's very much a no-no... which I've learnt in the past."
If Rabada's ban stays, then Australia will of course not have to face the world's No.1 bowler in the next two Tests. But Captain Smith and coach Lehmann insisted they took no delight in Rabada's ban.
Lehmann said: "It's never good seeing fantastic bowlers out of series." Smith suggested he always wants to "go up against the best players as much as you can".
Shaun Marsh, dismissed twice by Rabada at St George's Park, can't remember ever facing better bowling.
Rabada has claimed 135 wickets at a strike-rate of 38.9, the best strike-rate of any current Test bowler.
