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Rabada picks 11 as South Africa level series following six-wicket win in Port Elizabeth

by Sandeep Shivam Monday 12 March 2018

Kagiso Rabada picked six wickets in the second innings

©REUTERS

South Africa 382 & 102-4 (de Villiers 28) beat
Australia 243 & 239 (Rabada 6-54) by six wickets
Second Test, Port Elizabeth, day four
Scorecard

Kagiso Rabada claimed 11 wickets in the game as South Africa dismissed Australia for 239 in their second innings and knocked down the target of 101 runs with six wickets in hand in the second Test in Port Elizabeth to level the series 1-1 with two more games to go.

This is also the fourth time Rabada has picked 10 or more wickets in a Test but South Africa will miss his services in the next two Tests after he was suspended by the International Cricket Council for breach of conduct.

Earlier, Australia started the fourth day with a score of 180 for five, having a slender 41-run lead. Mitchell Marsh (45) started the proceedings with a shaky boundary but Rabada (6-54) went on to castle him at the end of the over.

There was no respite for Australia whatsoever with the 22-year-old also had Pat Cummins (5) caught in the gully to complete his fifth wicket in the innings and 10th in the game and soon his next wicket came when Mitchell Starc (1) edged one to the keeper.

Australia were reeling at 204 for eight at that stage and soon it became 211 for nine when Lungisani Ngidi (2-24) had Nathan Lyon (5) caught behind.

Late contributions from Tim Paine (28 not out) and Josh Hazlewood (17 not out) with their 28 run stand for the final wicket added some respectability to the total before they were bowled out for 239 runs.

Chasing 101 for a win in the final innings, Mitchell dropped Aiden Markram (21) in the slips in the second over. The drop proved costly as Markram hit two more fours but in the final delivery before lunch Lyon (2-44) had Dean Elgar (5) caught and bowled. South Africa were 22 for one heading into the break.

On resumption, Josh Hazlewood (1-26) had Markram caught in the slips but Hashim Amla (27) and AB de Villiers (28) calmed down the nerves in the Proteas dressing room with a 49-run stand for the third wicket.

Even though Australia managed to remove both the batsmen, it was a matter of time before they completed the chase in 22.5 overs with six wickets in hand.

Rabada claimed the man of the match award and now both the teams will lock horns with each other in the third game in Cape Town to be played between 22nd and 26th March.