London: South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada took five wickets against Australia in the World Test Championship final, surpassing former cricketer Allan Donald’s tally. Rabada expressed pride in joining the list of top wicket-takers for South Africa, calling it a special achievement.
On the first day of the WTC final at Lord’s, Rabada claimed five Australian wickets, bringing his total Test wickets to 332. This moved him ahead of Allan Donald to become the fourth highest wicket-taker for South Africa. Only Dale Steyn, Shaun Pollock, and Makhaya Ntini remain above him on the list.
Rabada said, “Being part of the bowlers’ list is special. Growing as a player and representing South Africa, I have been inspired by those who came before me and what they achieved on big stages. It is an honour to be included among their names, and I hope this continues for a long time.”
During the day’s play, Rabada dismissed Australian openers Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green, followed by captain Pat Cummins, Beau Webster, and Mitchell Starc. This marked his 17th five-wicket haul in Test matches. His bowling helped South Africa restrict the defending champions to 212 runs.
However, Rabada felt the Australian batting lineup could have been dismissed even earlier. Speaking to reporters after the day’s play, he said, “We will accept 212, but we felt we should have got them out around 160. That’s how the game goes.”
While Rabada was South Africa’s standout bowler, Australia’s pacers also performed well towards the end of the day. Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Cummins bowled impressively, leaving South Africa at 43 for 4 by stumps.
Rabada commented on the pitch conditions, “The pitch is a bit challenging for batsmen, with the ball bouncing sharply. Still, I think runs can be scored. If you bowl in the right areas consistently, chances will come. We are 43 for 4, which is not the start we wanted, but there is a lot of cricket to play in this Test. We will keep trying.”
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