Ace Pacer Kagiso Rabada etched his name in record books, but this time with his bat, as he broke a 119-year-old record to become South Africa’s highest-scoring No. 11 batter in Test history.
The Proteas speedster achieved the feat during the ongoing Test against Pakistan, surpassing the previous mark of 62 set by Albert Vogler way back in 1906 against England. He scored four fours and four sixes during his stay at the crease, and had a 98-run partnership from 117 balls for the 10th wicket with Senuran Muthusamy, who himself scored 89 and helped South Africa gain a lead.
When Rabada walked in to bat, South Africa were in a tricky position after a middle-order collapse left them struggling to post a decent total. With only one wicket remaining, most expected the innings to wrap up quickly after Muthusamy and Keshav Maharaj had taken their team close to Pakistan’s first innings total of 333. Instead, Rabada showed remarkable determination, producing a vital innings that shifted the tone of the match. He mixed solid defence with aggression, picking off boundaries when opportunities arose and farming the strike sensibly.
Rabada’s 71 was the fifth-highest score for a number 11 batter in Test history. While he has shown skills to score runs, it was the first time that he crossed 50 as a batter. Along with Muthusamy and Maharaj, he helped South Africa add 194 runs after the fall of 7th wicket, which is also the most in Tests by a team against Pakistan in Pakistan.
Highest score at Number 11 in Tests
98 – Aston Agar vs ENG, Nottingham, 2013
95 – Tino Best vs ENG, Birmingham, 2012
81 – James Anderson vs IND, Nottingham, 2014
75 – Zaheer Khan vs BAN, Mirpur, 2000
71 – Kagiso Rabada vs PAK, Rawalpindi, 2025
