South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is in a race against Sri Lanka’s Dilruwan Perera and Australia’s Nathan Lyon to finish as the year’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket.

Rabada has taken 52, including six in this week’s series opener against Pakistan at SuperSport Park in Centurion during 2018.

Perera has 50 – and the opportunity to gather more in the ongoing second Test against New Zealand at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch.

Australia’s third Test against India is currently under way at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, leaving Lyon the opportunity to build on his 49 for the year.

The 23-year-old Kagiso Rabada occupies first position in the International Cricket Council’s rankings for Test bowlers, while  Lyon and Perera are seventh and 23rd respectively.

Right-armer Rabada’s year featured a record-breaking 11-wicket match haul against Australia at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth.

India’s Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami, who currently have 45 each, are also in contention to be 2018’s leading Test wicket-taker. Bumrah and Shami might surpass Lyon and Perera, but probably not Rabada.

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