Kagiso Rabada becomes 3rd-fastest SA bowler to 300 Test wickets
South African pacer Kagiso Rabada has reached a major career milestone, becoming the sixth South African bowler to take 300 Test wickets. Rabada achieved the feat on Day 1 of the first Test match against Bangladesh at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Dhaka. Rabada joins an elite list of South African cricket legends including Dale Steyn, Shaun Pollock, and Allan Donald who have also achieved the feat.
Rabada's journey to 300 Test wickets
Rabada achieved the 300-wicket milestone in his first spell on Monday morning, by dismissing former Bangladesh captain Mushfiqur Rahim for 11. He is now the third-fastest South African bowler to take 300 wickets in Test cricket, after Dale Steyn and Allan Donald. Rabada achieved the milestone in his 65th Test match, while Steyn and Donald reached it in their 61st and 63rd Tests respectively.
Rabada's impressive form in recent Test matches
Rabada has been in sublime form this Test season. He took eight wickets in two matches against West Indies in August. Rabada has been one of the top pacers in Tests since his debut against India in 2015. His biggest achievement came in the fourth Test against England at Centurion in 2016, where he took 13 wickets (two five-wicket hauls) with 7/112 in the first innings.
Rabada's rise to the top of ICC Test bowler rankings
In 2018, Rabada reached the summit of ICC Test bowler rankings at the age of just 22. That year, he also became the youngest bowler to take 150 Test wickets at 23 years and 50 days, breaking Harbhajan Singh's record. As per Cricbuzz, Rabada is also the fastest to 300 Test scalps in terms of balls taken (11,817). He broke the record of Pakistan legend Waqar Younis, who took 12,602 balls.
Rabada and Co. dismantle Bangladesh
After trapping Mushfiqur, Rabada also got the better of Litton Das and Nayeem Hasan as he finished with figures worth 3/26 in 11 overs. He bowled four maidens. Wiaan Mulder and Keshav Maharaj also took three wickets apiece as the Tigers were folded for a paltry 106 batting first. Opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy (30) was the only one to score over 20.
300 Test wickets for Rabada
Playing his 65th match, Rabada has raced to 302 wickets at an average of 21.95, as per ESPNcricinfo. He has 14 fifers and four match 10-fers to show. In 32 away matches (home of opposition), Rabada has 118 wickets at 26.44. At home, he has scalped 184 wickets across 33 Test matches at a fine average of 19.07. 18 of his wickets have come against Bangladesh at 11.44.
