Kagiso Rabada has taken 300 wickets in Test cricket. Picture: Daniel Prentice/Gallo Images
Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada became the sixth South African, and 39th player overall, to take 300 Test wickets on the first day of the first Test against Bangladesh in Dhaka on Monday.
After Bangladesh won the toss and opted to bat, seam bowler Wiaan Mulder and Rabada struck telling blows to leave the hosts at 60/6 at lunch. Keshav Maharaj also picked up a wicket.
Rabada finished the session with 2/16, taking his Test wickets tally to 301, while Mulder picked up 3/22.
South Africa’s leading wicket-takers are Dale Steyn, with 439 scalps, followed by Shaun Pollock (421), Makhaya Ntini (390), Allan Donald (330) and Morne Morkel (309). Rabada, at lunch on the first day of the first Test in Dhaka, has 301 wickets.
South African coach Shukri Conrad opted to go into the match with a batting heavy lineup, which includes Aiden Markram, Tony de Zorzi, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton, debutant Matthew Breetzke, Kyle Verrynne and Mulder. The lower order is Rabada, Maharaj and Dane Piedt.
Rabada first made a name for himself as a member of the SA U19 squad playing at the World Cup in 2014 where he took 6/25 against Australia in the semi-final. South Africa went on to win the tournament, with Rabada the highest wicket-taker.
The next year he was included in the Proteas ODI and Test squads and made his Test debut against India in Mohali on November 5, 2015.
Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) 800 wickets, Shane Warne (Aus) 708, James Anderson (Eng) 704, Anil Kumble (Ind) 619, Stuart Broad (Eng) 604, Glenn McGrath (Aus) 563, Nathan Lyon (Aus) 530, Ravi Ashwin (Ind) 528, Courtney Walsh (WI) 519, Dale Steyn (SA) 439, Kapil Dev (Ind) 434, Rangana Herath (SL) 433, Richard Hadlee (NZ) 431, Shaun Pollock (SA) 421, Harbahjan Singh (Ind) 417, Wasim Akram (Pak) 414, Curtley Ambrose (WI) 405, Makhaya Ntini (SA) 390, Tim Southee (NZ) 384, Ian Botham (Eng) 383, Malcolm Marshall (WI) 376, Waqar Younis (Pak) 373, Imran Khan (Pak) 362, Daniel Vettori (NZ) 362, Mitchell Starc (Aus) 358, Dennis Lillee (Aus) 355, Chaminda Vaas (SL) 355, Allan Donald (SA) 330, Bob Willis (Eng) 325, Trent Boult (NZ) 317, Mitchell Johnson (Aus) 313, Ishant Sharma (Ind) 311, Zaheer Khan (Ind) 311, Brett Lee (Aus) 310, Morne Morkel (SA) 309, Lance Gibbs (WI) 309, Fred Trueman (Eng) 307, Ravindra Jadeja (Ind) 306, Kagiso Rabada (SA) 301
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