NEW DELHI: South African pacer Kagiso Rabada, who missed the first Test against India in Kolkata due to a rib injury, praised his team's remarkable ability to bounce back from tough situations and "find a way to win" regardless of absences in the lineup.

The reigning World Test Championship holders pulled off a stunning 30-run victory inside three days, successfully defending a modest 123 to claim their first Test win on Indian soil in 15 years. The result also handed them a decisive 1–0 lead in the two-match series.

"No matter who sits out, we can still find a way to win. (Skipper) Temba (Bavuma) has been crucial for us, but he hasn't played every game. I haven't played this game," Rabada said in a video shared by Cricket South Africa.

Bavuma returned to the playing XI after missing the previous two Tests in Pakistan, where South Africa fought back to level the series 1–1.

"That doesn't matter. Whoever is gonna get out on the field, we believe that they can do the job," Rabada said.

The visitors outperformed India on a dry Eden Gardens surface that offered variable bounce and sharp turn. Rabada praised the standout individual efforts that shaped the win, highlighting captain Temba Bavuma's crucial unbeaten 55 in the second innings - a knock that gave South Africa's bowlers a competitive total to defend.

"We had a good start in the first innings with Aiden (Markram) and (Ryan) Rickelton. They set the tone. Marco (Jansen) stood up, Boschi (Corbin Bosch) stood up at crucial times. Everyone chipped in and really, that's the hallmark of what this team is made of," Rabada said.

It remains to be seen if Rabada, who had to undergo multiple scans in the lead-up to the first Test, would be available for the second Test to be played in Guwahati from November 22-26.

Rabada said the victory in a low-scoring thriller at Kolkata would rank among the top three wins for South Africa this season.

"(The victory is) definitely right up there. With the types of wins that we've had this season, it's hard to say, because we've had some pretty epic wins, but this one is definitely (in the) top three," he said.

"That was typical Test cricket (contest)… I mean, just the ebbs and flows of the game. We found ourselves on the back foot, and then somehow managed to finish on the front foot.

"It was quite nerve-wracking on the side, and I'm just itching to want to get out. I don't know what to say. It's just... it's just, like, an emotional roller coaster, and I'm glad that we finished on the right side," Rabada added.

(With PTI Inputs)