India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant on Tuesday achieved a massive milestone 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 dismissals. He achieved this feat with the dismissal of Temba Bavuma. While Pant has reached the milestone in his 26th Test, Dhoni had reached the same feat in his 36th Test. South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock leads the overall list, having registered 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-figure mark.

For the record, Dhoni has the most dismissals by an Indian wicketkeeper with 294. Pant was rested for the recent two-match Test series 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 in the second Test in Mumbai by 9 wickets. Meanwhile, India was bowled 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 of 123 while Mayank Agarwal also scored a half-century (60). The visitors, however, made a strong comeback by getting 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 match will begin 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. Resuming the day at 272/3, Indian batters could only add 55 runs to their overnight score and lost seven wickets quickly in the morning session. KL Rahul (123 off 260) and Mayank Agarwal (60 off 123) were the top-scorers for India while Lungi Ngidi (6/71) and Kagiso Rabada (3/72) were the main wicket-takers for Proteas.

Must Read: IND vs SA, 1st Test Day 3: Mohammed Shami Shines With Five-Wicket Haul as India Lead South Africa by 146 Runs

Rishabh Pant Breaks MS Dhoni’s Record

Flamboyant India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has achieved a massive feat on day 3 of the opening Test match against South Africa at SuperSport Park, Centurion. Pant broke Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Wriddhiman Saha’s record to the complete fastest 100 Test dismissals as Indian wicketkeeper. Pant achieved the massive feat in his 26th Test when he took the catch of Temba Bavuma behind the stump. While MS Dhoni and Saha took 36 Tests each to reach the figure.

Tests to 100 wicketkeeper dismissals (India):

26 – Rishabh PANT

36 – MS Dhoni/Wriddhiman Saha

39 – Kiran More

41 – Nayan Mongia

42 – Syed Kirmani

The 24-year-old has taken three catches in South Africa’s first innings of the opening Test so far – Dean Elgar, Wiaan Mulder, and Temba Bavuma. He has taken 92 catches and has executed 8 stumpings in his Test career so far. In most dismissals’ tally, Dhoni leads the with 294 ahead of Syed Kirmani (198), Kiran More (130), Nayan Mongia (107) and Wriddhiman Saha (104). Pant made his Test debut for India in 2018 and he didn’t take much time to become the integral part of the India Test set up with his explosive batting down the order.

He played a crucial role in India’s massive 2-1 Test series win in Australia Down Under earlier this year. He was also named the inaugural ICC Player of the Month in January this year. However, the wicketkeeper batter didn’t have the best of time with the bat on Tuesday as he was dismissed on just 8 by Lungi Ngidi. Pant’s dismissal was a carbon copy of Cheteshwar Pujara’s where an angular delivery climbed up and it was an easy bat-pad catch for forwarding short leg. South Africa bowled out India for 327 in their first innings at SuperSport Park.