First-ball strike latest chapter in Warner-Rabada rivalry

When Pat Cummins asked Kagiso Rabada on Friday which Australian he'd most like to have a beer with after this series, there was an undeniable sense of mischief in the South African's response.

"I don't know what I would get out of David Warner," Rabada said to laughter from Cummins. "If you would have a beer with him, then I will."

"Let's make it happen," was Cummins' vow in an engrossing chat between the great fast bowlers.

A day on, Rabada needed just one delivery to rekindle a rivalry between himself and Warner, two of the game's most fiery and polarising characters.

Loping in from the Stanley Street end with an untouched red Kookaburra in hand and his side defending just 152, the Proteas pace ace delivered a vicious short ball aimed squarely at Warner's body.

The left-hander was airborne by the time it reached him, taking his bottom hand off his bat as he parried it to a leaping Khaya Zondo at short leg who took a super catch to see the back of the Australian for just the second golden duck of his Test career.

Image Id: 3244FACA949B4C53B3E575CEFFBA69E5 Image Caption: Rabada celebrates the first-ball dismissal of Warner // Getty

"With KG, he's someone that always targets the big players," South Africa's Kyle Verryenne said of Rabada post-play. "I don't know what the stats are but I reckon he's probably got the highest percentage of getting the top three or four batters against everyone he plays.

"He's our main bowler and if we need someone to crack a game open or get the opposition's big-name players out, he's always the guy we look to go to. It's something he does really, really well."

The dismissal kept the microscope on Warner, who has started the Test summer with scores of 5, 48, 21, 28 and now 0. He has not made a century in 27 innings and nearly three years, the longest drought of his decorated Test career.

It is also the latest chapter in a fascinating contest between Warner and Rabada that now stretches across three series and six years, one which reflects their respective reputations as (in Warner's case) one of the most damaging batters of the modern era and (in Rabada's) one of the most lethal quicks in Test history.

An initial glance at the numbers suggests Rabada has the wood over Warner, having now dismissed the opener five times in seven Tests the pair have played against one another.

The previous four dismissals all came during the heated 2018 series, with Warner having his off-stump knocked back in consecutive Tests in Port Elizabeth and Cape Town.

Their duel in the latter match is largely forgotten given the events that followed, but Warner bounced back from a painful early blow to the forearm by blazing three fours and a monstrous six off Rabada before his exit.

The send-offs he got in those two knocks – from the bowler the first time around, from a spectator the second time – may explain Rabada's sheepishness when wondering whether the pair may share a drink at the conclusion of this campaign.

Yet the dismissals only tell half the story.

In fact, statistics shows Rabada may actually be one of Warner's favourite bowlers to face in Test cricket.

From the 144 balls Rabada has bowled to him, Warner has blazed 166 runs, having got a hold of him on numerous occasions during that 2018 series to get Australia off to flying starts.

Warner's strike-rate of 121.5 against the Proteas quick, well up from his career mark of 71.23, is his best against any bowler who has bowled at least 30 balls to him.

The question now for Australia is whether Warner is still capable of the kind of feats that have made him one of the most effective openers the country has produced, with 24 centuries under his belt and an average still north of 45.

"We all know the X-factor cricketer that David Warner is and the type of batter he is," said Australia's Nathan Lyon.

"He's got 100 per cent support of the changeroom and it should be the whole Australian public to be honest with you.

"He got a good steep bouncer today but it was a hell of a catch to hang on to. That's part of cricket.

"But I'm expecting David to come out and do amazing things."

Warner's former coach Justin Langer also believes it is too soon to write him off.

"Of course we will read into it – everyone will read into the first-ball duck," Langer told Channel Seven.

"Throughout the start of the summer, through a lot of last summer, he was getting off to great starts. It is now just turning those great starts (into big scores).

"Australia know how important he is for them, particularly against South Africa with fast bowling, he can get the momentum going Australia's way.

"He will be disappointed, the team will be disappointed, but I said leading into this series, I would not be writing off David Warner for a single second. He is a street fighter and he is important for the Australian cricket team."

Men's NRMA Insurance Test Series v South Africa

Dec 17-21: First Test, Gabba, 11.20am AEDT

Dec 26-30: Second Test, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Jan 4-8: Third Test, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

South Africa squad: Dean Elgar (c), Temba Bavuma, Gerald Coetzee, Theunis de Bruyn, Sarel Eree, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Heinrich Klaasen, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Lizaad Williams, Khaya Zondo

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