SA vs IND | Twitter awestruck as Kagiso Rabada’s jaffa bamboozles Rohit Sharma in Centurion
Test cricket is an ultimate showdown to mouth-watering battles and the Boxing Day Test in Centurion produced a chunk of it. After a fifer in the first innings, Kagiso Rabada ensured to draw first blood in India’s second innings after cleaning up Rohit Sharma early with a jaffa in the third over.
The visitors first innings score of 245 was steamrolled by Dean Elgar’s 185 as he drove South Africa to get a lead of 163 runs at the end of the second innings on Day 3. With the Indian side already feeling the heat, Kagiso Rabada produced a stellar delivery to edge past the opposition captain on merit in the third over.
Eyeing their maiden series win in South Africa, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal had the daunting task to face fiery Rabada who came off a five-wicket-haul in the first innings. It did not take long for the paceman to produce yet another wicket-taking delivery and give a dream start to the hosts when he outfoxed the Indian captain for the second consecutive time in this particular Test.
After a couple of overs in the innings, the 28-year-old bore the fruit of a beautiful set-up where he alternatively shuffled the line of the delivery. Rabada shaped the fifth ball of the over into the right-hander, pitching it at the off stump line. Rohit was forced to play at it from inside the line but the ball seamed away just enough to beat the outside edge of the bat by a feather and hit off stump.
This was the second time that Rabada got the better of Rohit Sharma in this Test and seventh overall in international red-ball cricket. The home crowd erupted on seeing this dismissal and the Mumbaikar was stunned by this piece of jaffa from the 28-year-old. With an early jolt to the Indian side on the back of an excellent delivery, the Twitterati could not restrict themselves from expressing their thoughts.
What a ball
— Virat Sharma (@ViratSharm39743) December 28, 2023
Pure art
This is art. Can't help but praise in awe of this Rabada delivery. pic.twitter.com/poveQy2bSA
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) December 28, 2023
Unreal
What a ball . Uff . Unreal from KG Rabada.
— Vikram Sathaye (@vikramsathaye) December 28, 2023
He got him again
Rabada has Rohit's number yet again in Tests. Dismissed him 4 times in 2 Tests at the Centurion
— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) December 28, 2023
100 seconds of Rabada
100 seconds of Kagiso Rabada in whites pic.twitter.com/mkhLtotlDQ
— anshhh (@being_anshhhh) December 26, 2023
Rabada in full flow
Love watching test cricket in South Africa. Best pitches for test cricket in the world! Rabada in full flow is ❤️
— Steven Finn (@finnysteve) December 28, 2023
Nuked him again
Rohit Sharma dismissed for a duck Rabada nuked him again 😭#INDvsSA || #SAvsIND
— Rishi (@EpicVirat) December 28, 2023
pic.twitter.com/eK7stVrpFZ
Not eased up
Rabada is showing that the pitch had not eased up. It was only the bowling that eased up.#INDvSA #BoxingDayTest
— Anand Vasu (@anandvasu) December 28, 2023
Absolute peach
Absolute peach to get rid of Sharma. Bumrah's ball to get rid of Rabada was special too.
— Hefin Jones (@HefinJones01) December 28, 2023
Rabada's line
Rabada's line. All on the stumps and whereabouts. The variation is with the lengths.
— Gaurav Sethi (@BoredCricket) December 28, 2023