South African pacer Kagiso Rabada made history with his 15th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, marking his first on Asian soil. The milestone came during the fourth day of the first Test against Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. Rabada’s blistering pace and accuracy helped South Africa edge closer to victory as he tore through Bangladesh’s batting lineup. From the start, he bowled with precision, consistently removing top-order batsmen and placing immense pressure on the hosts. His performance was a key factor in South Africa’s dominance.
The Decisive Moment
While Rabada had already taken four wickets, he had to wait until Day 4 for his fifth. The moment came early in the day when Rabada bowled a delivery that sharply nipped back into Nayeem Hasan, hitting him low on the pads. The umpire quickly raised his finger, confirming Rabada’s first five-wicket haul in Asia. Rabada wasn’t finished, though. He later dismissed Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who was just three runs short of a century. With Miraz’s wicket, Bangladesh’s innings came to a close, leaving South Africa with a modest target of 106 runs to win the Test.
Reaching 300 Wickets and Beyond
Rabada’s exceptional performance in this match wasn’t just about his five-wicket haul. He also achieved another significant milestone by joining the elite 300-wicket club in Test cricket. On Day 1, Rabada became the 39th bowler in history, and only the sixth South African, to claim 300 Test wickets.
He reached this mark in just 65 Tests, making him the joint-10th fastest overall and joint-seventh among pacers to reach the feat. What makes Rabada’s accomplishment even more remarkable is the speed at which he reached the milestone.
He needed just 11,817 deliveries to claim 300 wickets, making him the quickest in terms of balls bowled, surpassing Waqar Younis by 785 deliveries. This achievement solidifies Rabada’s reputation as one of the finest fast bowlers of his generation.
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