South Africa might have been on the receiving end of a thumping loss to hosts Sri Lanka in the first Test at Galle but pacer Kagiso Rabada did manage to write his name into the record books.
The Proteas slumped to a 278-run defeat on Saturday inside just three days after being bowled out for just 73 runs in their innings.
In the morning session on Saturday, Rabada picked up two wickets in three balls to bring up 150 dismissals in Test cricket. In doing so, the 23-year-old quick became the youngest bowler to attain the landmark, bettering the previous record held by India’s Harbhajan Singh.
Rabada achieved the feat aged 23 year and 50 days while Harbhajan was aged 23 years and 106 days when he got to the mark in 2003.
Kagiso Rabada @ 23y-50d is the youngest to claim 150 wickets in Test cricket!
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) July 14, 2018
Previous youngest Harbhajan Singh 23y-106d (in 2003)#SLvSA
Rabada had Niroshan Dickwella caught behind before trapping Dilruwan Perera on the pads to bring up his 150th Test dismissal on Saturday.
The Proteas pacer’s three wickets in the second innings at Galle took his match tally to seven wickets.
The youngster’s 150 scalps came in just 31 matches at an average of just 21.21 and a fearsome strike-rate of 38.45. Along the way, the South African has already picked up nine five-wicket hauls as well.
He has been perched at the top of the ICC Test rankings for bowlers since January this year when he had become the youngest bowler to achieve the feat, breaking the record held by England’s George Lohmann since 1888.
