NEW DELHI: South Africa pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada became the fastest bowler to complete 300 wickets in Test cricket history in terms of balls during the 1st Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Monday.
Rabada clean bowled Mushfiqur Rahim (11) to get to the milestone in the 14th over of the first day of the Test after Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and chose to bat first.
Bangladesh were struggling at 21/3 which became 40/4 when Rabada clean bowled Rahim with a delivery that nipped back sharply from a length. The ball moved in off the seam with a hint of extra bounce and sneaked through the defences of Rahim, past the inside edge to hit the top of middle stump.
Rabada soon made it 301 Test wickets, removing Litton Das for just one, with Tristan Stubbs taking a stunning catch diving to his left in the gully.
Rabada’s strike rate of 39.3 is the best among the 38 bowlers who have claimed 300 or more Test wickets.
After Dale Steyn (61) and Allan Donald (63), Rabada (65) is the third-fastest South African bowler to reach 300 Test wickets in terms of matches taken.
Fewest balls taken for 300 Test wickets
- 11817 – Kagiso Rabada (SA)*
- 12602 –
Waqar Younis (PAK) - 12605 – Dale Steyn (SA)
- 13672 – Allan Donald (SA)
Most wickets for South Africa in Tests
- 439 – Dale Steyn (93 mats)
- 421 –
Shaun Pollock (108) - 390 – Makhaya Ntini (101)
- 330 – Allan Donald (72)
- 309 – Morne Morkel (86)
- 300 – Kagiso Rabada (65)*
Rabada took 3/26 as Bangladesh were bowled out for 106 in their first innings.
The series counts toward the World Test Championship, which will have its final in England the following year.
South Africa have never been defeated by Bangladesh in a Test match.