Cricket News Desk. The WTC final played between Australia and South Africa dominated the fast bowlers on the first day of 2025. A total of 14 wickets fell on the first day at Lord’s. Australia got the first batting invitation and the brilliant bowling by Kagiso Rabada (5 wickets) and Marco Jenson (3 wickets) converted the Kangaroo team for 212 runs in their first innings. In response, South Africa lost four wickets for 43 runs by the end of the first day’s play. Mitchell Starc took two wickets while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood took one wicket each.

For the first time in 145 years, the WTC final was a peculiar record on the first day of 2025. For the first time in 145 years, the openers of both teams were out without opening an account in the first innings. Remember that the first Test was played in 1880 between England and Australia at the Oval, England. The WTC final was the first match in the 561 Tests in England, in which the number one batsman of both teams was out without opening an account. Both Usman Khwaja of Australia and Aden Markram of South Africa took a strike in the first innings and were dismissed without opening an account.

Rabada’s strong performance

Let us tell you that for South Africa, Cagiso Rabada took 5 wickets while performing brilliantly. He took 5 wickets for 51 runs in the bowling spell of 15.4 overs. During this time Cagiso Rabada registered his name in the pages of the history of South Africa.

Rabada became the fourth South African to take the highest wicket in Test format. 30 -year -old Rabada took 322 wickets in 71 Tests. He overtook Alan Donald (330 wickets).

Bowlers who take the most Test wickets for South Africa
439 – Dale Stan
421 – Sean Pollock
390 – Makhaya Entini
332 – Kagiso Rabada
330 – Alan Donald
309 – Morne Morkel