The pace bowler struck twice in those opening six deliveries, removing opener Matt Renshaw and No. 3 batter Marnus Labuschagne. This clinical start left Australia reeling and significantly bolstered South Africa's hopes of a decisive victory in the series finale.
A milestone performance in the Cape Town Test
Rabada’s impact continued beyond his initial burst. In the seventh over, he claimed his third wicket of the innings by dismissing Travis Head. Bowling at 143 kmph, Rabada produced a full delivery outside the off stump that enticed a drive from Head. The batter failed to move his feet, resulting in an edge that was comfortably caught by Marco Jansen at gully.
This dismissal carried extra significance, as it marked Rabada’s 350th Test wicket. He becomes only the fourth South African bowler to reach this prestigious milestone, joining a list led by Dale Steyn with 439 wickets, followed by Shaun Pollock with 421 and Makhaya Ntini with 390. Other notable South African bowlers, including Allan Donald and Morne Morkel, finished their careers with 330 and 309 wickets respectively.
By securing two wickets in the first over of the fourth innings, Rabada also achieved a rare feat in South African cricket history. He is only the fourth bowler from the nation to accomplish this, following in the footsteps of Allan Donald against India in 1996, Dale Steyn against New Zealand in 2016, and Morne Morkel against Bangladesh in 2017.
The platform for this defensive effort was laid on the fourth day, when centuries from Wiaan Mulder and Ryan Rickelton helped South Africa recover from a 100-run first-innings deficit. Rickelton contributed 101 runs from 219 balls, while Mulder added 115 from 221 deliveries, guiding the hosts to a total of 387 in their second innings and setting Australia a challenging target of 288.
