NEW DELHI: Kagiso Rabada produced a stunning display on Day 1 of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, tearing through the batting lineup with a fiery five-wicket haul that not only shifted momentum in South Africa’s favour but also cemented his place in the nation’s cricketing history. Rabada finished with figures of 5/51 in 15.4 overs as Australia were bundled out for 212 at Lord’s.
The performance saw the 30-year-old pacer leapfrog the legendary Allan Donald to become South Africa’s fourth-highest wicket-taker in Test history. Rabada now has 332 wickets in 71 Tests, surpassing Donald’s tally of 330 from 72 matches.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!His five-for also placed him in rare company. Rabada became just the second bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in a WTC final, following New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson, who achieved the feat against India in 2021. Moreover, Rabada is now only the second South African to take a five-wicket haul in the final of a major ICC tournament, after Jacques Kallis' 5/30 in the 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy final.
Rabada's knack for delivering in high-stakes games is further underlined by his record in ICC knockout matches. He now has 11 wickets in five such games at an impressive average of 19.27 — Wednesday's performance at Lord’s marking his best in an ICC knockout fixture. He is now tied with Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald (12 wickets each), and trails only Jacques Kallis (14) on South Africa’s all-time list in ICC knockouts.
The Lord’s Cricket Ground continues to be a special venue for Rabada. In just three Test appearances at the historic ground, he has taken 18 wickets at a remarkable average of 16.83 and a strike rate of 30.2. With his latest haul, Rabada overtook Morne Morkel (15 wickets) to become South Africa’s highest Test wicket-taker at Lord’s.
He also became only the third South African to take multiple five-wicket hauls at the iconic ground, joining legends Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini in an elite club.
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