Stats: Keshav Maharaj breaks the 60-year old jinx
By taking a 5-fer in the first innings of a home Test, Maharaj became the first South African spinner to do in the last 60 years.
Keshav Maharaj quickly fitted into the South African Test side as their main bowler with his consistency and accuracy even on non-responsive tracks. The left-arm spinner already recorded some astonishing numbers and feats which the South Africans couldn’t do since their readmission to cricket in 1992. In the first of the 4-match Test series against Australia, Maharaj got a chance to play his home venue Kingsmead, Durban first time for the Proteas.
He already made the game a memorable one with a 5-wicket haul in the first innings to play a crucial in restricting the visitors to 351. This was Maharaj’s 4th five-wicket haul in the Test format; the joint-most by a South African spinner since their readmission to Cricket. He is currently equalled with Paul Adams with the 5-fer against the Aussies in Durban.
Among all South African spinners, only Hugh Tayfield (14) and Bert Vogler (5) took more 5-fers in Tests than Maharaj. This 5-fer by the left-arm spinner is only the 2nd by a South African spinner at home in the first innings since their cricket return. Paul Harris also had figures of 5/123 in the 2009 Centurion Test against England which was the 2nd innings of the game.
By taking a 5-fer in the first innings of a home Test, Maharaj became the first South African spinner to do in the last 60 years. Hugh Tayfield recorded figures of 5/120 in the Cape Town Test against Australia in 1957/58. The 28-year-old is only the 3rd spinner to bag a 5-wicket haul in the opening innings of a Durban Test match. Australia’s Clarrie Grimmett took 7/100 in the Test match played in 1936 against the home while Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan recorded bowling figures of 5/122 in the 2000 Test against the Saffers.
Maharaj is only the 3rd South African spinner to take a 5-fer in the opening innings of a Test since their return. Paul Adams had figures of 6/55 in the 1996 Kanpur Test against India and 5/37 against Bangladesh in the 2003 Chittagong Test. Imran Tahir’s 5/32 is the recent most event as the leg-spinner registered the figures in the 2013 Dubai Test against Pakistan.
Five-wicket hauls by the South African spinners in the first innings of a home Test:
(Stats as on March 2, 2018)
(Note: Bonnor Middleton and Charlie Llewellyn are left-arm slow bowlers)
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