Rabada gives South Africa some cheer

Ideally Kagiso Rabada would have made his Test debut at his home ground, the Wanderers, on a green top, in a series already won. Ideally, he would bowled after the opening bowlers (either Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander or Steyn and Morne Morkel) would have done some early damage and to an exposed middle order. Ideally he would have made an immediate impact. But ideal is not the way sport works.

Rabada was called on in an emergency in Mohali to replace the injured Morne Morkel on a surface that was as far from Johannesburg as it sounds. On a slow, dry strip, he did bowl after Steyn and Philander, who had done a little bit of damage by removing an Indian opener, and even after the offspinner Simon Harmer. He made an impact when he had the opposition captain caught at cover but most of his 22 overs were overshadowed by South Africa's abject batting. Everything was far from ideal.

After a dream start to his international career - Rabada took a hat-trick and captured the best figures by a South African on ODI debut - he could hardly complain. The India Tests were, as some would say, character building. The chance to show what type of character he had built would come later.

It could have been at Kingsmead, where South Africa were hoping for a green mamba but the regional drought and heavy winds during preparation gave them a brown house snake instead. Rabada watched helplessly as the man he idolises, the only bowler he named as a role-model, Steyn, struggled with injury. He knew that would be his way in. He knew that was not ideal either.

Instead of the protection of a slew of seniors around him, Rabada had to make his home debut behind the substitute spearhead in a depleted attack. He did, at least, have six overs to get used to the idea while the debutant Chris Morris was given an opportunity to find some movement while Morkel made use of the bounce and carry on this pitch.

Morkel only bowled three overs upfront, in what was a chronic underuse of the main man all day, and Rabada was called on earlier than he seemed prepared for. His first two deliveries were on opposite ends of the loosener spectrum: full on the pads then short and wide. Alex Hales gave them both what they deserved. But Rabada responded threateningly. He found that little bit of extra lift to get the ball to tease the edge twice in the next two overs but like his pace partners, he erred too much in the first hour.

While Morkel and Morris were guilty of being a touch too short, Rabada veered towards leg too often. "I didn't feel great rhythm," Rabada admitted. "And on this wicket, the margin for error is small." Combined, South Africa crossed that margin too many times and so they could not keep it as tight as they would have wanted to. "It was a fight out there," Rabada said.

And there times when he won. He drew the edge from Alastair Cook, four balls after luring him into a uncharacteristically aggressive pull. The change in length worked but it still took an magnificent low catch from Morris at third slip to get the breakthrough. "I think I needed that after the start that I had," Rabada said.

Rabada's first spell was seven overs on a hot day, a sign of his stamina. In an injury-hit side, that is a rare sight these days. Though Rabada said he did not feel match fit because he hadn't bowled since the Nagpur Test in India, he didn't look it. Instead, before tea, they way he bowled with the older ball seemed exactly the opposite.

He corrected his errors, tightened his line, kept his pace up and threatened England's middle order. Joe Root was almost out when he tried to bail out of a pull - beaten for pace - and skied a ball in front of the cordon. AB de Villiers had the skates on but not fast enough to take the catch.

The disappointment of the close call not going his way with the opposition in control could have derailed Rabada but he stuck at it. He was rewarded three balls later when Nick Compton's patience ran out and he picked out Temba Bavuma at midwicket. The delivery that followed after tea was similarly inoffensive but a poor stroke from James Taylor - jabbing out side off to a ball he could have left - put Rabada on a hat-trick and gave a South Africa a sniff.

When Morris had Root caught behind, that sniff became a proper chance. South Africa had clawed their way back despite the conditions which provided different challenges from the two ends. From the Kelvin Grove End, where Morris bowled most of his overs, they were running into the wind. From the Wynberg End, where Morkel was mostly deployed, there was a little more bounce. Adjusting to that took time but, "We improved as the day went on," Rabada said.

Ideally their strategy would have improved as well. Ideally South Africa would have turned 223 for 5 into 280 for 7 by stumps. Ideally Morkel, not Morris would have taken the second new ball. Ideally Hashim Amla would have kept three slips in. Ideally South Africa would not have conceded 46 runs in five overs in the last half-an-hour. But ideal is not the way sport works.