Kagiso Rabada completes 350 Test wickets, joins elite club in Cape Town Test vs Australia

South African pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has joined elite company after completing 350 Test wickets during the second innings of the Newlands Test in Cape Town against Australia. With the visitors needing 288 to win the match and the three-match series 2-1, they suffered an early collapse, triggered by Rabada inside the first five overs. He first picked up two wickets in his first over, removing Matt Renshaw and underfire Marnus Labuschagne before accounting for Travis Head to unlock this milestone. Playing his 75th Test, Rabada became the second-quickest South African (Test-wise) after Dale Steyn to achieve this feat.

Rabada missed the series opener in Durban but returned to the playing XI for the second Test in Gqeberha, helping his team win that Test to level the series 1-1. Sitting at 346 Test wickets before the start of the third Test, Rabada picked up just one in Australia’s first innings but broke their back with a brilliant spell with the new ball on Day 5 in Cape Town.

While Rabada took six more Tests than Steyn (69), who is the fastest South African to 350 Test wickets, he has joined the elite company of fast bowlers quickest to this feat. Former New Zealand veteran Sir Richard Hadlee tops the list among fast bowlers fastest to this milestone; Rabada is placed sixth on the list, which also includes Steyn (2nd), Dennis Lillee (3rd), Glenn McGrath (4th) and Malcolm Marshall (5th).

Among the South Africans, he leads ahead of the veteran quick duo of Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald, who took 86 and 90 Tests, respectively, to reach 350 Test wickets.

However, the quickest overall to this tally are two former spinners, Sri Lanka’s spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan and Ravichandran Ashwin, both taking 66 Tests to reach this figure. Steyn sits in fourth place, while Rabada is ninth.

Australia Lose 6 Wickets before Lunch on Day 5

In what could have been the worst possible start to their run chase in this series decider, Australia has lost half its side under 50 before lunch on Day 5, with Rabada returning with three wickets and off-spinner Simon Harmer with two. Josh Inglis was out run out.