Kagiso Rabada says achieving his 200th Test wicket is a ‘massive feat’ but there is much more for him to aim for.
Rabada became the eighth South African bowler to reach this milestone on Thursday as the Proteas battle on against Pakistan in Karachi.
The 25-year-old is also the third-fastest bowler to get to 200 scalps in terms of balls bowled, while his strike rate in the longer format is just as impressive.
‘It’s a massive feat to be included in a list with such names,’ Rabada said after the day’s play.
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‘When you start playing, you don’t ever think that you would be on such a list and have such statistics. All you want to do is the best you can. I’m really glad, it is satisfying, it’s a great milestone, but the show goes on.’
Rabada made his Test debut for the Proteas back in November 2015, picking up Virat Kohli as his first wicket.
He has since gone on to become the key bowler in the Proteas attack, achieving tremendous success along the way.
According to him, all the precision is down to an exceptional amount of hard work he has put in over the past few years.
‘A lot of hard work and spending a lot of time on your craft. It hasn’t all been easy. You find yourself trying to perfect something that might be so simple, but it is constant repetition and hours and hours of work. I guess being relentless with that and also trying to see how much better you can get.’
The Proteas reached stumps on day three on 187-4, with a lead of 29 runs over Pakistan. A valuable partnership between Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen has provided the visitors with a good chance of earning a result.
READ: Markram leads Proteas fightback but Pakistan strike late
Rabada, though, believes the game is ‘definitely’ still winnable for the Proteas but expects the Pakistan bowlers to throw everything at it on Friday.
‘That’s what we believe, we have to believe, as a team. Aiden and Rassie batted extremely well and sub-continent wickets can fall in clusters that way, but we are constantly tested and now we are going to get tested again tomorrow. We have to be up for the challenge. That’s why we play, that’s why we get up in the morning, that’s why we practise so hard. Hopefully we can get the team in a good position and get some runs on the board.
‘Pakistan have a good bowling attack, it is turning a bit more. Invariable bounce will actually play more of a role as the game goes on,’ he concluded.
