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IND vs SA, 1st Test: Rabada's dominance over Rohit Sharma, 14 dismissals across all formats

Rabada's success against Sharma is noteworthy, surpassing other notable bowlers such as Tim Southee, Angelo Mathews, Nathan Lyon, and Trent Boult.

By Omar | Dec 28, 2023 | 2 Min Read

In the ongoing India vs South Africa series, Kagiso Rabada has emerged as a consistent challenge for Rohit Sharma across all cricket formats. This trend persisted in the recent Centurion Test, where Rohit Sharma fell victim to Rabada in both the first and second innings, the latter resulting in a duck. Rabada has now dismissed Sharma 14 times in various formats, marking the highest count by any bowler.

In the realm of international cricket, Rabada’s success against Sharma is noteworthy, surpassing other notable bowlers such as Tim Southee, Angelo Mathews, Nathan Lyon, and Trent Boult. Particularly in Test cricket, Rabada has troubled Sharma seven times, establishing himself as the fast bowler who has posed the most challenges to Rohit in the longest format. The South African paceman has also claimed Sharma’s wicket five times in ODIs and twice in T20Is.

During the recent dismissal in Centurion, Rohit Sharma’s attempt at a pull shot, his go-to move, proved unsuccessful as he was caught by Burger at long leg. This strategy, effective in limited-overs cricket, has become a vulnerability for Sharma, especially when facing top-quality bowlers like Rabada on overseas pitches. Over the last three years, Rohit Sharma has been dismissed six times while attempting the pull shot in Test matches played in England, Australia, and South Africa.

Commenting on this aspect of Sharma’s game, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar noted that the pull shot, which is impactful in white-ball cricket, becomes hazardous in Test matches when played in the air.

In the recent Test, Rabada showcased his prowess by claiming five crucial wickets for just 41 runs in 15 overs. His victims included Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Shardul Thakur. This outstanding performance also marked Rabada’s achievement of reaching 500 international wickets, making him the seventh Proteas bowler to attain this milestone. Despite Rabada’s fiery spell, KL Rahul’s resilient century helped India post a competitive total of 245 runs in the first innings.