South Africa national cricket team spin bowler Keshav Maharaj achieved a huge milestone in the history of Test cricket for the Proteas. The spin bowler broke Hugh Tayfield’s 64-year-old record to become the team’s highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game.

Keshav Maharaj achieved the feat during the second test against West Indies National Cricket TeamThe match between the two teams took place at Providence Stadium in Guyana from Thursday (August 15) to Sunday (August 18).

Maharaj completed 171 wickets in Test cricket and surpassed Hugh Tayfield’s tally of 170 wickets to top the list of wickets in terms of bowlers. Tayfield held the record for 64 years as he played 37 Tests for South Africa and dismissed 170 batsmen in his 11-year career.

Keshav Maharaj completed 171 wickets when he picked the wicket of Jayden Seales in the 67th over. The off spin bowler had a sensational game with the ball and was the main reason why the South Africa National Cricket Team won the second Test against the West Indies National Cricket Team by 40 runs and won the series by 1-0.

Maharaj bowled 6 overs in the first innings and took two wickets. He removed Gudakesh Motie and Shamar Joseph to return with figures of 2/8. His stint with the ball helped South Africa close out the West Indies innings on 144 runs.

Maharaj then put in another brilliant performance with the ball in the second innings. He took three wickets in Joshua de Silva, Gudakesh Motie and Jayden Seales to return with figures of 3/37. South Africa bowled out West Indies for 222 runs to win the game by 40 runs.

Maharaj was instrumental in South Africa’s victory in the Test series against the West Indies. In the first match, he took 8 wickets, four of them in each innings, and was awarded Man of the Match before taking 5 wickets in the second match.

For his heroics in both Tests, Keshav Maharaj was awarded the Player of the Series award. He finished the series as the leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets to his name at an average of around 16.

It was nice to go on a long trip – Keshav Maharaj

Keshav Maharaj spoke about his performance with the ball in the series against West Indies. He said that he enjoyed his time in the series and takes pride in playing in the longest format of the game. Speaking to the announcers after the game, he explained:

“It was nice to have a long run. We did well. We enjoyed it. There were a lot of positives. But let’s go back to the drawing board for the next one. I pride myself on Test cricket. I just stick to the game. Bavuma allows me to read the game.”

We will now get to see Maharaj in action when South Africa and West Indies play each other in the three-match T20I series, which begins on August 23.