Sri Lanka pacer Lahiru Kumara shattered South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada’s bat during the ongoing second and final Test at the St George’s Oval in Gqeberha. The incident took place during Day 2 of the ongoing second Test between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Gqeberha.
On Day 2, Kyle Verreynne, who had been at the crease overnight, was joined by Keshav Maharaj. However, Maharaj was dismissed in the opening over of the day for a duck by Vishwa Fernando. Fortunately, Kyle Verreynne continued his strong performance, reaching a well-deserved century while Kagiso Rabada provided valuable support from the other end.
Kagiso Rabada’s bat shattered by Lahiru Kumara’s fiery delivery in the Gqeberha Test
The South African wicketkeeper-batter played a stunning knock of an unbeaten 105 runs off 133 balls studded with 12 boundaries and 3 sixes against the Islanders. Verreynne also added 56 runs off 76 balls with Kagiso Rabada to help South Africa post 358 runs on the board in the first innings.
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During their partnership, an unusual incident took place when Kagiso Rabada’s bat broke, forcing him to temporarily halt his innings. During the fourth ball of the 90th over, Lahiru Kumara bowled a fast back-of-a-length delivery outside off stump at 137 km/h in Gqeberha.
The ball bounced unexpectedly, catching Kagiso Rabada off guard as he tried to defend it. Surprisingly, the ball struck the upper part of the South African pacer’s bat with such force that it broke near the handle instead of making a clean connection.
Kagiso Rabada had to call for a replacement bat, which temporarily halted the game. The brief interruption lightened the mood, with the Sri Lankan all-rounder Angelo Mathews joining in on the laughter.
Watch how the incident unfolded here:
— Pandit Pranoob (@pranoob76889) December 6, 2024
🇱🇰⚾️ Lahiru Kumara’s swift delivery has broken Rabada’s bat handle.#sportspavilionlk #SAvSL #danushkaaravinda #SAvsSL pic.twitter.com/YAWFiqYmaZ
— DANUSHKA ARAVINDA (@DanuskaAravinda) December 6, 2024
Notably, Kagiso Rabada went on to contribute 23 runs off 40 balls to South Africa’s total against Sri Lanka. The Proteas pacer was eventually clean bowled by the Sri Lankan pacer Asitha Fernando on Day 2 of the ongoing second and final Test match in Gqeberha.
Asitha Fernando gets the batter of Kagiso Rabada in the second Test
Asitha Fernando used a clever tactic, holding the ball cross-seam as if preparing for a short ball. However, the Sri Lankan pacer delivered a full-length delivery that slanted in towards Rabada. Expecting a bouncer, Rabada’s feet remained stuck in the crease, and as he tried to defend, he left a gap between bat and pad.
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Unfortunately, the ball sneaked through and clean bowled him, breaking his partnership with Kyle Verreynne that Sri Lanka desperately needed in the match. On the other hand, Lahiru Kumara finished with the best bowling figures of 4/79 against the Proteas side in Gqeberha.
Notably, the ongoing Test match is a must-win for both Sri Lanka and South Africa in their bid to qualify for next year’s World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 final at Lord’s.
Earlier, South Africa thrashed Sri Lanka by 233 runs in Durban last week to take a 1-0 lead in the ongoing home series. Now, they are aiming to whitewash the Islanders in the final Test.