Rabada puts SA on brink of win against Bangladesh, enters country's list of top 5 international wicket-takers
Oct 24, 2024
Dhaka [Bangladesh], October 24 : South African pacer Kagiso Rabada went past Morne Morkel to become Proteas' fifth-highest international wicket-taker in international cricket.
Rabada accomplished this feat during the first Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka. In the second innings of Bangladesh, Rabada took 6/46 in 17.5 overs, including wickets of Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Nayeem Hasan.
Now, in 231 international matches, Rabada has taken 536 wickets, as compared to Morkel's 535 scalps, at an average of 24.18, with best bowling figures of 7/112. He has taken 20 four-wicket hauls, 17 five-wicket hauls, and four ten-wicket hauls in his international career.
The leading international wicket-taker for South Africa is legendary all-rounder Shaun Pollock, having taken 823 scalps in 414 matches at an average of 23.63, with best figures of 7/87. He has taken 35 four-wicket hauls, 21 five-wicket hauls, and a ten-wicket haul in his international career.
In the first innings of Bangladesh, Rabada became only the sixth SA bowler to reach 300 Test wickets, reaching the milestone in 11,817 deliveries, the fastest-ever by any bowler. He currently sits at 308 Test wickets. In the first innings, he took 3/26 in 11 overs.
Before Rabada's 9 wickets for 72 runs in this match, the last South Africa pacer to bag eight or more wickets in a Test in Asia was Dale Steyn - 9/99 vs Sri Lanka in Galle in 2014 - in what also happens to be their last Test win in the Indian subcontinent.
Now, SA have been set a target of 107 to win. After electing to bat first, Bangladesh could post only 106 runs, with Mahmudul Hasan top-scoring with 30 runs. Rabada, Wiaan Mulder and Keshav Maharaj took three wickets each. In their first innings, SA took a 202-run lead, thanks to a century from Kyle Verreynne (114) and a fifty from Mulder (54), which lifted Proteas from a poor position of 108/6.
In the second innings, Bangladesh delivered a fighting performance, with half-centuries from Mehidy (97) and Jaker Ali (58). They were skittled out for 307 runs, gaining a 105-run lead, setting a target of 106 runs to win for SA.
