India vs SA: Proteas keen on a whitewash, says Kagiso Rabada

Johannesburg: Five days before the final Test on a pitch that bore an excessively green tinge, pacer Kagiso Rabada said South Africa were gunning for a whitewash of India, having trampled the visitors in the first two matches.

The hosts have taken an unassailable 2-0 lead with convincing wins in the first two Tests, with Rabada producing a match-winning spell at Newlands.

“Obviously we know how to play fast bowling and we’ve got respect for their attack. Every game you go into, you want to win. So obviously we want to get a whitewash against India.” Rabada said, adding that India were too reliant on skipper Virat Kohli, who scored his 21st Test hundred at Centurion.

“I think they do rely on him. But it is just like we rely on a couple of players too. I’m not saying India don’t have any quality players, they do. But it’s just a fact — Kohli scores most of their runs.

“It is really enjoyable bowling to the likes of him. He was named ICC Player of the Year (sic), so it’s quite cool to go up against the best.”

When asked about India’s lack of preparation going into the series, he said, “I don’t know what’s going on in their preparation. That’s not something we want to look at really.

“We’ve got no concern with their preparation. We’re concerned with how we want to get them out and how we want to win against them. I’m not going to diagnose their problems.”

The young pacer though feels that the Indian attack has given a good account in the two Tests.

“The fast bowlers are excited to bowl at the Wanderers. We always are as it has pace, bounce and swing. Bumrah is a very good bowler, he’s already opening the bowling now. He’s done very well with the one-day stuff and now he’s doing very well in the Test matches too.

“Mohammed Shami is very experienced and got some pace. Umesh Yadav, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar who caused a lot of trouble in Cape Town, they’ve got good fast bowlers.”

His team 2-0 up, he is not thinking about cricket now. “I haven’t seen the pitch yet. Cricket is off my mind now and the hard work starts again on Monday. Then we’ll have a look at the pitch. We know how the conditions behave here. India played really well the last time they were here, Kohli got a hundred. Wanderers is a good wicket, it’s normally a moving wicket. It’s a pitch where if you bat well you can score some runs.”