South Africa’s young pace sensation Kagiso Rabada breached numerous milestones en route to helping his side complete an utterly comprehensive victory by an innings and 254 runs in the second Test at Bloemfontein.
The 22-year-old, who has played as many Tests in his career so far, became the fifth youngest bowler to attain 100 wickets in the longer format after his second five-wicket haul of the match put the South Asians to the sword inside three days.
In doing so, Rabada also became the highest wicket taker in the calendar year as he went past the 50-wicket mark to bring his tally for 2017 to 54.
The Proteas bowler is now ahead of the spinner’s association of Rangana Herath, Nathan Lyon, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in the wicket-takers lists for 2017, the only pacer in the top five.
Rabada has played 10 Tests in the calendar year and taken 54 wickets at a fantastic average of 20.96, the lowest among the top five.
WICKET! Take a bow, @KagisoRabada25, he takes his 100th Test wicket with the dismissal of Mahmudullah (43). #ProteaFire #SAvBAN pic.twitter.com/GlofiXv2DE
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) October 8, 2017
His South Africa teammate Keshav Maharaj has also continued his excellent start so for in his Test career as he made it to the sixth spot in the list with 43 scalps to his name.
This was Rabada’s third 10-wicket haul in his fledgling career so far and he continues to lay claim to the mantle of the South Africa’s next pace spearhead amid the injuries to Dale Steyn.
The right-arm pacer had claimed 16 wickets in the Test series defeat to England prior to Bangladesh’s visit. He has claimed 25 wickets in the two Tests again Bangladesh so far to further underline his emergence as the next big thing in fast-bowling.