Kagiso Rabada scripted a rare moment of Test cricket history at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday, dismissing Bangladesh debutant Mahfijul Islam off the very first legal ball of the opening Test. The South African speedster’s delivery seamed away sharply, trapping the left-hander on the edge, where the slip crier took a clean catch to hand Rabada an immediate breakthrough. This dismissal marked Rabada’s first career first-ball wicket, a statistical feat that places him in exclusive company among the game’s elite bowlers.
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Mahfijul’s dismissal was a catastrophic start for the 24-year-old, who was drafted into the playing XI as an emergency replacement for the injured Shadman Islam. By falling for a golden duck, Mahfijul became the first Bangladesh batter and only the fourth player in the history of the sport to be dismissed off the opening ball of a Test match on debut. The incident left Bangladesh reeling at the start of their innings, handing South Africa a psychological edge before the second batter had even stepped to the crease.
This historic wicket joins a select list of previous first-ball dismissals, which includes South Africa’s Jimmy Cook (1992), West Indies’ Leon Garrick (2001), and Afghanistan’s Abdul Malik (2019). While the record is undoubtedly a nightmare for Mahfijul, it cements Rabada’s status as a bowler capable of altering the momentum of a match in an instant. As Bangladesh looked to stabilize their innings, the early shock highlighted the high stakes of the opening day and the unpredictable nature of Test cricket.
Source: Yahoo Sports
