Kagiso Rabada didn’t bowl in the closing stages of Australia’s run-chase in their World Cup semi-final against South Africa at the Eden Gardens despite the match getting close. Here is why.

As Australia kept losing regular wickets in a low-scoring thriller at the Eden Gardens, all eyes looked for Kagiso Rabada, the leader of South Africa’s bowling attack. He was, however, nowhere to be seen as Temba Bavuma tried every other trick he had up his sleeve but wasn’t able to stop Australia from crawling over the line of 213 to take them to their eighth men’s World Cup final.

Having bowled a five-over spell in the first powerplay, Rabada had come back for a second spell in the 33rd over. Steve Smith then got out skying a shot off Gerald Coetzee in the next over which he admitted was “not one of his best” to hand South Africa an opening.

With only four wickets to get and 39 runs still to play with, everyone naturally assumed Rabada would have to take on the responsibility of taking South Africa home, being the senior-most seamer in the team.

Surprisingly, however, he was taken off the attack after just one over in his second spell. It turned out to be his last of the match and of the World Cup as he never returned to bowl despite South Africa being only three wickets away from what could have been their first semi-final victory.

Coetzee, in his youthful exuberance, ran in whole-heartedly to bowl an eight-over spell that brought South Africa back in the game. At the other end, Bavuma fell back on Aiden Markram after Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj were done with their quota of overs. Even Marco Jansen was given a bowl at the very end but not Rabada.

People suspected an injury, but Rabada was on the field at the end, running around and stopping balls without any apparent discomfort, which perplexed viewers.

It was Rob Walters, the South Africa coach, who revealed the reason behind Rabada’s absence from the bowling crease in the post-match press conference. “KG [Kagiso Rabda] had a bruised heel. That’s why we didn’t see much of him in the contest as we would have expected to,” said Walters.

Walters said that Rabada was limping around and wasn’t comfortable when he came back to bowl his sixth over. “If you’re watching him on the park, you could see him limping around. In the comeback spell that he bowled, he just wasn’t able to deliver at 100 per cent,” said Walters.

Walters lamented the fact that South Africa weren’t able to use Rabada how they would have liked, but maintained that his absence was not a defining point in the game. “Obviously, with that, it also led us into bringing Aiden [Markram] on, and Aiden was outstanding all through the game. I mean, obviously, a fit and able KG has shown throughout this competition how he was one of our leading bowlers and has been for South Africa for some time.

“It was a pity. I don’t think it was a defining moment in the game to be dead honest. But obviously, a pity that we couldn’t call on him in the normal way.”

In the end, Australia got over the line on the second ball of the 48th over with three wickets in hand. One can only wonder what could have been had Rabada been fit to bowl at the death.

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