India Tour of South Africa: India captain Virat Kohli and wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant will be eyeing to overhaul the records of Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni respectively when the team kicks off their 3-Test series against South Africa in Centurion on Sunday. Follow India Tour of South Africa live on InsideSport.IN.
India Tour of South Africa: Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni’s records on line in series as Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant eye major milestones
Virat Kohli has the chance to overhaul Rahul Dravid’s record and become the second highest run-scorer from India in South Africa. Rahul Dravid played 11 Test matches in South Africa and scored 624 runs at an average of 29.71. VVS Laxman is currently the third on the list with 566 runs in 10 matches. Virat Kohli, who has scored 558 runs in 5 matches in the Rainbow Nation, is set to overhaul the figures of both Dravid and Laxman. The 33-year-old needs to score 604 runs to go past Sachin Tendulkar – 1161 runs in 15 matches at an average of 46.44. Kohli is currently averaging 55.84 in South Africa.
Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid during a practice session (BCCI Image)Notably, Virat Kohli is also the only India batsman apart from Sachin Tendulkar to score two or more Test hundreds in South Africa. Kohli has slammed two hundreds in the African nation, while Tendulkar five.
Further, Rishabh Pant is just three dismissals away from breaking MS Dhoni’s record for fastest Indian wicketkeeper to 100 dismissals in Test cricket. The 24-year-old currently has 97 dismissals from 25 matches. Dhoni, the former India captain, took 36 matches to achieve the feat, while Pant’s current teammate Wriddhiman Saha had to feature in 37 matches to achieve the feat.
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Quickest Indians to hundred Test dismissal in Test cricket
MS Dhoni – 36 matches
Wriddhiman Saha – 37 matches
Kiran More – 39 matches
Nayan Mongia – 41 matches
Syed Kirmani – 42 matches
India have been part of seven Test series in South Africa, having failed to win on each occasions. The first Test match will begin from December 26 at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.
India Tour of South Africa: Rahul Dravid and MS Dhoni’s records on line in series as Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant eye major milestones