On Monday, South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada achieved a significant career milestone, surpassing Pakistan’s Waqar Younis to become the quickest pacer to reach 300 wickets in Tests.
Rabada accomplished this during the first day of the opening Test against Bangladesh, reaching the milestone in 11,817 balls across 65 Tests, thereby breaking Younis’s 24-year-old record set at 12,602 balls.
Rabada, aged 29, delivered a strong performance with figures of 3-26 from 11 overs as Bangladesh collapsed to 106. South Africa responded with 140-6 before the day ended prematurely due to bad light. The day saw a total of sixteen wickets fall, setting the stage for what is expected to be a spin-dominated two-test series.
Reflecting on the match conditions, Rabada commented, “We thought it was going to turn, and not nip, but there was a bit of movement with the new ball.” He observed significant seam movement off the pitch, aligning with what the team had experienced during net practice. “It’s turning for the spinners and seaming for the seamers too. We found that quite surprising,” he added.
While acknowledging his landmark achievement, Rabada noted that he hadn’t been focusing on the 300-wicket milestone, although he knew he was close to it. “I was more focused on how we would win this test, especially after losing the toss and bowling first. But when it happened, it was just a relief. Everyone plays for milestones, but it was a relief,” he expressed.
Describing the achievement as a special moment, Rabada also shared, “As for the record, I didn’t know about it, but I guess it motivates me to do even better.” With this achievement, Rabada joins an elite group of South African bowlers who have surpassed 300 test wickets, including Dale Steyn, Shaun Pollock, Makhaya Ntini, Allan Donald, and Morne Morkel.
