Ngidi-Rabada add beautiful colours to Rainbow

Ajay Naidu

Centurion, January 18

They are tall, lithe, athletic. Armed with a cricket ball, they are fast and furious. By bowling South Africa to a great victory, both Lungi Ngidi and Kagiso Rabada have this Rainbow Nation in a grip of great delight, especially the black South Africans for whom they’ve made a bold and beautiful statement.

Even as Ngidi and Rabada made a mockery of the Indian batting, one could see groups of black SA supporters at SuperSport Park singing, dancing, clapping and giving their full-throated support to the two fast bowlers. The two bowlers seem to be living a dream, a dream that every black South African nurtures in his heart.

Dream team

Ngidi might have stolen the show, but it wasn’t lost on him that he and Rabada symbolised the spirit of the original people of this land. “It did strike me when I was thrown the ball and I knew Kagiso was bowling at the other end,” said Ngidi. “I couldn’t really say anything during the game. It was more internal. But it really is a dream come true. I have dreamed about bowling in tandem with him. Just to make my Test debut with him at the other end is very special.”

The 20-year old Ngidi, whose full name is Lungisani Ngidi, has come up through the ranks, showing great promise right from the school level. Going on to win the Man of the Match award for his 6/39 in the second innings, he’s the toast of the nation. His school and college sent messages that they were willing to share their thoughts on their ‘kid’ with the media. 

World No. 1

Just last week, Rabada became the world’s No. 1 Test bowler. The exploits of the two fast bowlers, their rise and stardom, provide a great inspiration to this country’s black citizens, each of whom has a story of blood, sweat and tears. Their bowling in tandem is a moment of great joy for all of them, a mass groundswell of pride!

Makhaya Ntini was the first ethnically black player to play for the Proteas. The emergence of Ngidi and Rabada, their pairing, doubles the joy that Ntini provided to black South Africans.