He finished with figures of 5/33 in the first ODI.
You wouldn’t really take a bowler seriously if he holds no five-wicket hauls in 48 games in the 50-over format. In some cases, that would be a huge mistake. And maybe, Australia committed that mistake today. Left-arm veteran spinner Keshav Maharaj ran through Australia’s middle-order, as they fell like a pack of cards. The visitors posted a competitive 296/8 on the back of a composed 82 from Aiden Markram. And just as the hosts were starting to look dangerous in the second innings, Keshav Maharaj happened! South Africa clinched the match by 98 runs, going 1-0 up in the series.
AUSA-W
–
INDA-W
–
KNK
187/10
BVB
214/6
Bhimavaram Bulls beat Kakinada Kings by 27 runs
AMR
138/10
VSS
139/1
Vijayawada Sunshiners beat Amaravati Royals by 9 wickets
SKA
–
SLK
–
ABF
–
TKR
–
EDR
172/6
PD
113/5
ODW
–
NDS
–
SDSW
73/3
EDRW
58/7
South Delhi Superstarz Women beat East Delhi Riders Women by 15 runs
NDSW
–
CDQW
–
KHTC
117/8
MRSC
142/4
Masroor Sports Club beat 1.Kieler HTC by 25 runs
THCC
56/10
KSV
59/8
KSV Kings beat THCC ROT-GELB Hamburg by 2 wickets
MTV
96/6
MRSC
91/8
MTV Stallions beat Masroor Sports Club by 4 wickets
KSV
137/4
KHTC
142/2
1.Kieler HTC beat KSV Kings by 8 wickets
THCC
129/6
MTV
75/8
THCC ROT-GELB Hamburg beat MTV Stallions by 54 runs
HTBC
–
SCE
–
HTBC
–
VFB
–
SCE
–
SGFD
–
VFB
–
BRCC
–
BRCC
–
SGFD
–
MID
205/4
KENT
279/6
LAN
–
DURH
–
LEI
–
DER
–
HAM
–
NOT
–
ESS
–
GLAM
–
NED-W
–
ITA-W
–
IRE-W
–
GER-W
–
BAN
–
IND
–
Match Called off
MUR
–
NWW
–
LLG
–
NK
–
KZK
56/2
NCMI
–
SBSCC
–
CEC-A
–
PCR
–
GUJCC
–
RTZ
–
KUMS
–
GBM
135/3
SML
133/7
Gulbarga Mystics won by 7 wkts
MGD
107/3
HBT
152/7
GBM
–
MYW
–
HBT
–
BNB
–
ROS
114/3
RNC
113/10
Royal Oman Stallions beat Renaissance Challengers by 7 wickets
MUT
–
YSG
156/5
AUS
198/10
SA
296/8
South Africa beat Australia by 98 runs
TRR
–
MAO
–
WEF
–
SOB
–
LOS
–
NOS
–
TRW-W
111/7
MOW-W
113/0
Manchester Originals Women won by 10 wickets
WFW-W
–
SBW-W
–
LSW-W
–
NOS-W
–
AS-A
137/4
PSA
136/9
Adelaide Strikers Academy beat Perth Scorchers Academy by 6 wickets
CHK
206/5
PS
137/8
Chicago Kingsmen beat Pakistan Shaheens by 69 runs
NEP
180/7
HHA
114/10
Nepal beat Hobart Hurricanes Academy by 66 runs
NTS
150/7
BANA
172/4
Bangladesh A won by 22 runs
CHK
–
ACOM
–
MS-A
–
PSA
–
NEP
–
MR-A
–
PS
–
AS-A
–
KASS
177/8
KARS
201/3
Kashi Rudras won by 24 runs
MEMA
150/8
LUF
101/3
NOSK
–
GOLS
–
LUF
–
KASS
–
The five batters which he dismissed speaks volumes of Maharaj’s artistry. He started off by trapping Marnus Labuschagne in front of the wickets, and soon followed it up with the wickets of Cameron Green and Josh Inglis. But that was not all. Maharaj went on to scalp two more wickets to send Alex Carey and Aaron Hardie back to the hut. Not just did he take the wickets, but he also made sure that the run-flow was minimized. To add to that, Maharaj managed to dent Australia‘s middle-order, where most of their able batters are slotted.
For a man of Maharaj’s calibre, it is extremely surprising that he registered his first five-wicket haul eight years after playing his first ODI. The Protea spinner holds two four-wicket hauls in the 50-over format. His economy in the ODI format reads 4.97, which is on the good side for a spinner. Watch his awesome delivery to send Cameron Green back.
ALSO READ:
The South Africans have a history of producing quality fast bowlers every now and then. Right from 30-40 years in the past, some of the best fast bowlers have been from South African soil. Yet, Keshav Maharaj makes a lasting impression as a spinner. Maharaj is one of the most successful spinners for South Africa, especially in the red-ball game. But he has shown his class in the white-ball formats as well. Though he has just 63 wickets to his name in 49 ODIs played, the impact that he’s created in the Protean cricketing circuit ceases to be forgotten.
One of the best things about the left-arm orthodox bowler is his adaptability across formats. In the growing day and age, it is extremely difficult to hold the fort as a bowler, especially a spinner. The white-ball formats seem like they are stacked up against bowlers, and can get hard on the bowlers on multiple occasions. Despite the fact, Maharaj happens to be one of the most consistent bowlers for South Africa across formats. He has contributed not just as a player, but also as a leader. The 35-year-old has captained the Proteas in all the three formats whenever a need arose.
The fact that he disrupted the middle-order of the Australian batting unit does not come as a surprise. Determination and resilience are two words one can closely associate with the spinner. Maharaj suffered from a ruptured Achilles tendon in 2023, which kept him out of the game. While many doubted his ability to return to the game, he made a full recovery to get back to international cricket.
If Maharaj is able to maintain his fitness, he would be very crucial for South Africa in the 2027 World Cup. The tournament is nowhere in talks till the recent future, but he will surely be willing too play the tournament. South Africa missed out on the Final berth in 2023, as they were beaten by Australia in the semi-finals at Kolkata.
