New Delhi: South Africa’s pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada produced a sensational bowling performance to put India on the back foot in the first Test at Centurion on Sunday. Rabada claimed five wickets for 77 runs in 23 overs, as India was bowled out for 202 in their first innings, after losing the toss and being asked to bat first. Rabada also reached a personal milestone of 500 international wickets, becoming the fourth South African and the 25th bowler overall to achieve this feat.
Rabada’s Magical Spell
Rabada, who is only 28 years old, bowled with pace, accuracy, and movement, and troubled the Indian batsmen throughout the day. He struck in his first over, when he dismissed opener Mayank Agarwal for a duck, with a delivery that nipped back and hit the stumps. He then removed Cheteshwar Pujara for 8, with a short ball that the batsman fended to the slip cordon.
Rabada’s biggest scalps, however, were Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are considered as two of the best batsmen in the world. He dismissed Sharma for 34, with a brilliant yorker that crashed into the middle stump. He then got rid of Kohli for 35, with a delivery that swung away and took the outside edge to the wicketkeeper. Rabada also accounted for the tail-ender Umesh Yadav for 10, to complete his 13th five-wicket haul in Tests.
Rabada’s International Career
Rabada, who made his international debut in 2015, has been one of the most consistent and prolific bowlers in all formats of the game. He has played 60 Tests, 101 ODIs, and 56 T20Is, and has taken 280, 157, and 58 wickets, respectively. His overall tally of 500 international wickets is the fourth-highest among South Africans, after Shaun Pollock (829), Dale Steyn (699), and Makhaya Ntini (662). He is also the 25th bowler in the history of the game, and the ninth-fastest in terms of matches, to reach this landmark.
Rabada’s average and strike rate in Tests are 22.34 and 40.8, respectively, which are among the best in the world. His best figures in an innings are 7 for 112, which he achieved against England at Centurion in 2016. His best figures in a match are 13 for 144, which he achieved against England at Johannesburg in 2016. He has also taken 10 wickets in a match four times in his Test career.
Rabada’s average and strike rate in ODIs are 27.77 and 32.8, respectively, which are also impressive. His best figures in an ODI are 6 for 16, which he achieved against Bangladesh at Dhaka in 2015. He has also taken five wickets in an ODI four times in his career.
Rabada’s average and strike rate in T20Is are 29.87 and 21.2, respectively, which are decent. His best figures in a T20I are 3 for 20, which he achieved against Sri Lanka at Cape Town in 2017. He has also taken three wickets in a T20I six times in his career.
