 "Kagiso Rabada")
Kagiso Rabada delivered a fiery performance at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test between India and South Africa, as he claimed his 14th five-wicket haul in Test cricket on Tuesday, December 26.
Rabada got his first wicket in the initial session, removing Indian skipper Rohit Sharma early on. However, his skills were fully showcased in the second session, where he picked up the remaining four wickets.
India were initially in a commanding position with Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer adding 68 runs for the third wicket. Rabada struck in the first over after lunch, dismissing Iyer. He then continuously troubled Kohli with great lengths and eventually got one to just nip away after pitching, brushing the edge of Kohli’s bat on its way to wicket-keeper Kyle Verreyenne.
The 28-year-old then had Ravichandran Ashwin caught at third slip. Shardul Thakur became his fifth victim, driving a fuller-length ball to stand-in skipper Dean Elgar at covers.
Rabada in a league of his own
Rabada now boasts 14 five-wicket hauls in 61 Tests. Among all bowlers who have played 61 or more Tests, no one has achieved 285 wickets at a strike rate of 39.32. This is the best strike rate for any bowler with 280 or more wickets in Test cricket, considering a history spanning over 146 years.
Rabada also joined the ranks of South African greats such as Dale Steyn, Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, and Hugh Tayfield, becoming the sixth Proteas bowler to achieve 14 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket.
