Kagiso Rabada gave South Africa the start they were looking for in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 final against Australia at Lord's on June 11. Rabada displayed his bowling prowess against Australia by claiming two early wickets under overcast conditions at Lord's, marking his 50th Test dismissal against the same opposition. This milestone was reached by the South African pace spearhead in a mere 11 matches or 19 innings, establishing Australia as a team he particularly enjoys bowling against.
Usman Khawaja falls to Kagiso Rabada again
Rabada began his spell with three consecutive maiden overs, his outswing deliveries proving challenging for both Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja. While Labuschagne eventually managed to score a run, Khawaja's struggles against Rabada continued, as he was caught at second slip for a 20-ball duck. This dismissal marked the sixth occasion Khawaja had fallen victim to Rabada in Test matches, earning him the unwanted title of a 'bunny' to the bowler. Across all formats, Rabada has now dismissed Khawaja nine times. Just two balls later, Cameron Green also succumbed to Rabada, similarly edging the ball to the slips.
Bowlers to dismiss Usman Khawaja most times in Tests:
Stuart Broad – 8
Jasprit Bumrah – 6
Kagiso Rabada – 6
Chris Woakes – 6
Interestingly, among Test bowlers who have dismissed Usman Khawaja the most times, Kagiso Rabada is tied at the third position with six dismissals, alongside Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes. Jasprit Bumrah leads this list, having dismissed Khawaja on eight occasions in Tests.
Meanwhile, Rabada became the tenth South African bowler to grab 50 or more Test wickets against Australia. Dale Steyn tops this list with 70 wickets in 15 matches, while Rabada has now accumulated 51 wickets in just 11 matches against the same opponent. Furthermore, Rabada has achieved three five-wicket hauls in his Test encounters with Australia.
South African bowlers with most wickets against Australia in Tests:
| Player | Mat | Inns | Wkts | Best | Avg | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale Steyn | 15 | 28 | 70 | 5/67 | 27.47 | 2 |
| Hugh Joseph Tayfield | 15 | 25 | 64 | 7/23 | 34.5 | 4 |
| Morne Morkel | 16 | 31 | 58 | 5/23 | 33.67 | 2 |
| Makhaya Ntini | 15 | 29 | 58 | 6/100 | 34.74 | 2 |
| Vernon Philander | 14 | 27 | 53 | 6/21 | 24.67 | 4 |
| Trevor Leslie Goddard | 18 | 34 | 53 | 6/53 | 27.58 | 2 |
| Alan Donald | 14 | 24 | 53 | 6/59 | 31.07 | 2 |
| Shaun Pollock | 14 | 27 | 52 | 6/95 | 27.65 | 3 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 11* | 19 | 51 | 6/54 | 22.27 | 3 |
| Jaques Kallis | 28 | 44 | 50 | 3/22 | 37.56 | – |
South Africa were placed at 67/4 after the end of 23.2 overs which marked the end of first session of the Day 1's play.
South Africa playing XI:
Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Temba Bavuma(c), David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne(w), Wiaan Mulder, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
Australia playing XI:
Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Alex Carey(w), Pat Cummins(c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood