Lungisani Ngidi, together with Kagiso Rabada, is the face of South Africa's prospective fast-bowling attack. Standing tall at 1.93m, Ngidi is capable of bowling in excess of 140 kph, seaming it either way, and can keep the batsmen honest on the back foot with mean short-pitched deliveries. He is also known to bowl the heavy ball with a open-chested bowling run-up.
Ngidi made his Test debut against India at Centurion in January 2018, coming in for Dale Steyn, who had injured his heel in the first Test at Newlands, Cape Town. He finished with the perfect script, nabbing a six-fer on debut and impressing everyone with his pace, hostility and attitude. He famously set up a rampant Virat Kohli in his debut Test, bowling three balls outside off before angling one on the pads and trapping India's captain plumb in front, thereby helping South Africa win the Test and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
