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South Africa's bowling coach Charl Langeveldt has challenged Proteas spearhead Kagiso Rabada to bowl better on flat pitches.
Rabada, the world's leading Test wicket-taker in 2022, was well below his best at the MCG as Australia piled on 8-585 to secure a 386-run first-innings lead.
The 27-year-old finished with figures of 2-144 as the South Africans were forced to field for 145 overs.
"I think 'KG' (Rabada) wasn't on song, but if I can single him out, and a few of the other guys in periods we didn't ball well as a unit," Langeveldt said.
Langeveldt urged Rabada to study Australia captain Pat Cummins as an example of a bowler with consistency.
Rabada has taken more wickets than the Australian captain in this series with 10 to Cummins's eight so far but the Proteas paceman has been less economical, including going at 5.14 an over in the home side's first dig in Melbourne.
"For KG, he's a wicket-taker, he always has that ability to take wickets for us, the challenge for him is to be able to control that," Langeveldt said.
"I think Cummins when he started off he leaked a few runs but then he got consistent and he was aggressive and that's his [Rabada's] challenge going forward.
"He is one of the leading wicket takers in red-ball cricket but going forward playing on flatter wickets I think that's going to be the challenge for him."
South Africa will resume on Thursday at 1-15, still requiring another 371 to make Australia bat again in the Boxing Day Test.
AAP/ABC