‘Ohhh, KG Rabada!’: Three hundred and fifty reasons

News PROTEAS Proteas ‘Ohhh, KG Rabada!’: Three hundred and fifty reasons Kagiso Rabada became the fastest bowler to 350 Test wickets in deliveries bowled on Saturday, giving South African supporters another reason to sing his name.

A familiar chorus for an exceptional bowler. There is affection in that chant, but also an appreciation of what his presence means. When Rabada has the ball, South Africa have a chance.

At Newlands, there was a series to be won. By the end of his opening over, Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne were gone. When Travis Head edged to Marco Jansen at gully for 14, Australia were 22-3 in pursuit of 288.

That was wicket No 350. It arrived with the series in the balance, against an opponent who could take the match away from South Africa.

Rabada reached the landmark in 13,808 deliveries, beating Dale Steyn’s previous record of 14,719 by 911 balls. That is more than 151 overs fewer than a bowler widely regarded as one of the finest to have played the game.

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Waqar Younis needed 14,905 deliveries, Malcolm Marshall 16,285 and Mitchell Starc 16,908. To reach the landmark sooner than each of them is an extraordinary achievement.

If it wasn’t already, his place among the greats should now be beyond doubt.

Reaching 350 wickets in 75 Tests amounts to more than four-and-a-half wickets per appearance. He matched Marshall’s tally of matches to the landmark, with only Richard Hadlee and Steyn, both in 69 Tests, Dennis Lillee in 70 and Glenn McGrath in 74 getting there sooner among fast bowlers.

For a fast bowler carrying the physical burden of his trade, that is a remarkable standard to maintain.

Perhaps the familiarity of his excellence has softened our appreciation of it. We expect the breakthrough. We expect the spell that unsettles a settled batsman. When South Africa need something to happen, eyes turn towards Rabada.

He already held the record for the fewest deliveries to 300 Test wickets, reaching that mark in 11,817 balls. Now he owns the corresponding record at 350. The latest 50 wickets came in just 1,991 deliveries, further evidence of how quickly he moves through batting orders.

The morning also brought his 600th international wicket. At the moment Head departed, Rabada had 601 wickets across the three formats: 350 in Tests, 168 in ODIs and 83 in T20Is. He became the fifth South African to reach 600, joining Shaun Pollock, Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Allan Donald.

In Test cricket, only Steyn, Pollock and Ntini remain above him on the national list. Steyn leads with 439, followed by Pollock on 421 and Ntini on 390. At 350, Rabada was 40 behind Ntini and 89 short of the national record, having already passed Donald’s 330.

It is distinguished company, and he belongs there on merit.

Watch the action and much of it appears beautifully straightforward. A measured approach, momentum gathered without fuss, a high release and pace that asks the batsman to make his decision quickly. There is an economy to the movement which can disguise the effort involved.

Yet the speed alone cannot explain the wickets. Plenty of bowlers are quick. Rabada brings judgement to his pace: when to pitch fuller, when to push a batsman back, when to persist with the delivery that has beaten the edge.

Head’s dismissal illustrated the point. Rabada offered the drive, found the edge, and Jansen completed the work. In a chase of that size, removing such a destructive batsman was a major blow.

By the milestone, Rabada’s record included 17 five-wicket hauls and four 10-wicket match returns. His best figures stood at 7-112 in an innings and 13-144 in a match. These are the returns of a bowler who can take responsibility for an entire innings, coming back to finish the job after making the first breakthrough.

South Africa have been fortunate to produce fast bowlers who would command a place in almost any side. That history sets a high standard. Rabada has met it, season after season, while becoming the man around whom his own country’s attack revolves.

At Newlands, the landmark came with the contest still alive and the series waiting to be decided. That gave the morning its weight.

Three hundred and fifty wickets tells us how much Rabada has achieved. His opening spell at Newlands showed how much South Africa still depend on him.

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