SA vs IND: Rishabh Pant tops MS Dhoni in elite Test cricket list.© AFP
Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant reached a huge milestone on Tuesday during the ongoing first Test against South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion. He has surpassed MS Dhoni to become the fastest Indian wicketkeeper to record 100 Test layoffs. He achieved this feat with the resignation of Temba Bavuma. While Pant has achieved the milestone in his 26th Test, Dhoni had achieved the same feat in his 36th Test. South African wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock tops the overall list, with 100 dismissals in just 22 tests.
The 23-year-old is also the sixth Indian behind Dhoni, Syed Kirmani, Kiran More, Nayan Mongia and Wriddhiman Saha to reach the three-digit mark.
For the record, Dhoni has the most dismissals by an Indian wicketkeeper with 294.
Pant was equipped for the recent test series of two games against New Zealand at home. Saha had kept the wickets for the team in his absence as India won the series 1-0 after beating the Kiwis by 9 wickets in the second Test in Mumbai.
Meanwhile, India was knocked out for 327, losing their last 7 wickets for just 55 runs, on Day 3 of the ongoing first Test.
KL Rahul scored a fine 123, while Mayank Agarwal also scored half a century (60).
However, the visitors made a strong comeback by taking seven South African wickets early on Tuesday.
India is in South Africa to play three Tests, followed by as many ODIs.
The second Test will be played at The Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg from January 3. The third and final test race starts on January 11 at Newlands in Cape Town.
For the record, India has never won a Test series in South Africa. This is their eighth visit to the Rainbow Nation, having lost the series in six of the previous seven visits.
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