South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada replied to critics for not trusting his team during the latest World Test Championship cycle. The Proteas defeated Australia by 5 wickets in the final to clinch their first ICC trophy in 27 years. Chasing 282 runs to end their title drought, Temba Bavuma’s team completed the task in the first session of Day 4 at the Lord’s. Aiden Markram, who scored 136 runs in the fourth innings, was named the Player of the Match.

He added more than 140 runs with skipper Bavuma, who posted a 50-plus score. David Bedingham (21) and Kyle Verreynne (4) were at the crease when the Rainbow Nation crossed the finishing line.

Rabada also made a big contribution, taking 9 wickets. He dismissed five batters in the first innings, while he got rid of four batters in the second essay. The right-arm pacer was key in dismissing Australia for 212 and 207 across two innings.

“I can’t express in words how I am feeling at the moment. We deserve to be in this position. People said we were not playing well. That is rubbish,” Kagiso Rabada said.

“It felt like a home game. I urge our fans to keep supporting us,” he added.