Rabada is galloping towards the fastest 300 in Test cricket – at an impressive average of 22.07

The paceman from Johannesburg, who had just two wickets from three matches on his first Test tour of India, has scored a total of 293 in the 60 Tests since then. If he adds five Windies wickets to his profile this week, Rabada will become the second fastest man of the 2000s (in terms of matches) behind the great Dale Steyn to reach 300 Test wickets. At the age of 29, Rabada has already stamped his class among the most successful red-ball bowlers of the modern era.

Only one bowler – Mitchell Starc – has recorded more wickets than his 522 scalps since his international debut in late 2014, and no bowler has collected as many Test hits as he has since his debut.

Rabada has combined consistency with a remarkable degree of composure to make the most of his first decade in international cricket. He has successfully played most of his professional years in cricket on the global stage, allowing him to rise to the 29th position among the highest run-scoring international seam bowlers in that period. With plenty of playing time left, Rabada can inevitably rank as South Africa’s most prolific paceman and one of the most successful international pacers of all time.

One of the highlights of Rabada’s impressive Tests has been the speed with which he has adapted to form. Rabada’s bowling average fell below 24 for the first time in his 21st Test and remains well below that mark for more than 40 consecutive Tests, currently at 22.07.

Rabada’s strike rates with the red ball are unprecedented, including any bowler who has been at least half as successful as he has been in the form. His bowling strike rate (average number of balls per over) of 39.30 is the best among all 121 bowlers who have picked at least 150 Test wickets.

Although almost 62 per cent of his Test wickets have come at home, Rabada has also enjoyed moderate success in Australia, New Zealand and England, averaging less than 28 in 74 wickets. However, Rabada’s limited fortunes in Asia remain the lone blemish on his Test record.

Rabada has taken just 22 wickets in 10 Tests in Asia at an average of 35.63 and a strike rate of 71.7. His compatriot Steyn is an outlier in this regard. No Visiting paceman has recorded as many wickets (78) as Stey on the continent with an undisputed 38.9 strike rate.

With seven Tests to go before he turns 30 in May 2025, Rabada could also turn 20 as one of the most successful pacers of all time. The list is currently topped by Stuart Broad, who grabbed 345 Test wickets before his 30th birthday.

Rabada thus enters a crucial stage in his career where he could break into the top 10 highest run-scorers and overtake Jimmy Anderson (704) and Broad (604) – the two most successful Test batsmen in his career. . He could touch the 400-wicket mark if he features throughout South Africa’s Test cycle in the current Future Tours Program (FTP), which runs until 2027 and features 23 Tests.

Rabada’s progression through 20 Test cycles in his career suggests that he is currently at his peak in the whites and may even unlock a few more levels before the form becomes saturated. Rabada remains afloat at the rates he has achieved so far in his career, allowing him to reach the 400-point mark before South Africa’s current Future Tours Program (FTP) cycle ends in 2027.

It is also noteworthy that he has remained equally successful in the ODI format this season, in addition to 71 T20I wickets. Rabada’s 157 ODI wickets in 101 innings is surpassed only by New Zealand’s Trent Boult (165) among pacers since his debut in July 2015.

While several of his contemporaries are gradually heading down the franchise cricket route, Rabada may be looking for a fair chance to raise the bar internationally in the second half of his career while leading the Proteas attack for at least four more seasons.