Kagiso Rabada Overtakes Allan Donald as Bangladesh Fight Back in First Test

Kagiso Rabada etched his name further into South African cricketing history on Sunday, moving past the legendary Allan Donald to become the nation’s fourth-highest wicket-taker across all international formats. The fast bowler’s milestone performance provided a dominant start for the Proteas, though the opening day of the first Test against Bangladesh ultimately evolved into a challenging battle as the visitors staged a resilient recovery.

Rabada’s five-wicket haul, which cost 51 runs, pushed his total international tally to 606 wickets, eclipsing Donald’s career mark of 602. With this achievement, the 31-year-old now sits behind only Shaun Pollock, who leads the charts with 823, followed by Dale Steyn at 697 and Makhaya Ntini at 661. Furthermore, Rabada’s latest display marked his 18th five-wicket haul in Test cricket, placing him level with Ntini for the third-most by a South African, trailing only Steyn and Donald.

However, the narrative of the day shifted significantly as Towhid Hridoy and Litton Das combined for an unbroken 206-run partnership for the sixth wicket. This stand represents the highest partnership ever recorded by a Bangladesh pair against South Africa in Test cricket. Hridoy anchored the recovery with a magnificent 137 off 208 balls, marking his maiden Test century against the Proteas and becoming only the second Bangladesh batter to reach the milestone against this opposition. By the close of play, Litton Das remained unbeaten on 92, steering Bangladesh to a total of 327/6 and ensuring the visitors ended the day in a position of strength.