Former South Africa pacer Makhaya Ntini said Kagiso Rabada is up there with the legendary pacers that the Proteas have produced over the years, but expressed doubt over whether he would be able to reach greater milestones in Test cricket. Ntini said Rabada has only gotten to 285 Test wickets despite playing Test cricket for 9 years because of the reduced number of matches that the Proteas play in red-ball cricket when compared to the likes of India, England and Australia. | SA vs IND, 1st Test Day 1 Scorecard |

Kagiso Rabada achieved the milestone of 500 international wickets for South Africa on Day 1 of the Boxing Day Test against India. Rabada picked up his 14th 5-wicket haul and his first against India in whites as he tore into the Rohit Sharma-led batting unit on a spicy pitch at the SuperSport Park.

Rabada’s onslaught began with the dismissal of Indian skipper Rohit Sharma, who was caught at fine leg after pulling a short delivery. The South African paceman continued to dismantle the Indian batting lineup, exploiting gaps and swinging the ball to claim key wickets, including that of the well-set Virat Kohli. His performance was instrumental in limiting India to a score of 208/8 on a rain-truncated day, with KL Rahul providing some resistance with an unbeaten 70 from 105 balls.

Rabada is 7th on the list of South African pacers with most Test wickets. He is 6 wickets behind Jacques Kallis, who finished with 291 in 165 Tests. Dale Steyn is on top of the list with 439 wickets in 93 matches while Shaun Pollock finished his decorated career with 421 in 108 matches. Ntini himself had 390 wickets in 101 Tests while legendary Allan Donald had 330 wickets in 72 Tests.

“He is already up there. When you talk about those guys, when you talk about those bowlers, they have passed the 400-mark and KG is chasing the 300-mark. But we have got a massive problem,” Ntini told the PTI news agency.

“You are playing two Test matches a year and what is that? Do you think this guy (Rabada) can hold up till he gets to that milestone? It’s not going to be easy for the nature of games (number of matches and formats) that is being given to South Africa to play against other countries,” he added.

YOUR COUNTRY IS PRIORITY: NTINI

The Boxing Day Test against India was only South Africa’s 3rd Test match of the year, but they are set for a busy 2024 in whites.

Several questions have been raised about only 2 Tests being part of the ongoing Freedom Trophy despite India and South Africa producing classics over the years. India and England are set to play a 5-Test series in January-March next year while India and Australia are also set to meet in 5-Test series in the future.

Ntini stressed the importance of players feeling the urge to represent their countries in Test cricket even at a time when franchise-based T20 leagues have become the more lucrative option.

“No! Your country is your priority. Take the example of Kagiso. How many Test matches has he played and he still continues to play IPL. If Gerald Coetzee today thinks that he is getting a million rands and what he should do now, that will be his biggest mistake,” he added.