Credit: ICC
On June 21, 2021, South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj became the second South African to grab a hat-trick in Test cricket. On the fourth day of the second Test played in St Lucia, West Indies needed more 309 runs to complete the chase of 324 runs. With the Windies side already struggling at a score of 90/3, Maharaj also added charcoal to the fire as he got rid of Kieran Powell. Powell was looking fine with his bat as he was playing at a score of 51. Following him, Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva also fell on the next two deliveries.
With these scalps, Maharaj broke into record books as the second Protea bowler to pick up three wickets in a row. Before Keshav, Geoffrey Griffin was the only South African to bag a Test hat-trick. Griffin, who was the right-arm pacer, took a hat-trick against England at the iconic Lord’s in 1960. After entering the record books, Maharaj didn’t relent as he went on to dismiss Kemar Roach and Jayden Seales as well to help the Protea side win the game by a massive margin of 158 runs. Maharaj concluded his spell with 5/36 figures.
South Africa whitewashed West Indies in the two-match Test series
With the convincing triumph, South Africa swept West Indies in the two-match Test series. Earlier, the Caribbean team registered an innings and 63-run defeat at the hands of the Protea side in the first Test, held at the same venue. This was South Africa’s first away red-ball series victory after 2017. Quinton de Kock became the Player of the Series for the most-successful batter in the series with 237 runs in three innings.
Kagiso Rabada took the most wickets in the series with 11 hunts in four innings while Maharaj ended up as the second-leading wicket-taker in the series, claiming nine wickets in four innings of two Tests.
