IND vs SA 1st Test: Mohammed Shami becomes fifth Indian pacer to achieve THIS big feat

Mohammed Shami achieved the milestone of 200 Test wickets after removing Kagiso Rabada on Day 3 of the first Test against South Africa at the SuperSport Park in Centurion on Tuesday. The 31-year-old pacer is third-fastest among Indian pacers to reach the landmark, achieving it in his 55th Test match.

Rabada's wicket was also Shami's fifth of the innings. He is the 11th Indian bowler to pick up 200 or more wickets and only the fifth fast bowler to reach the milestone. Shami is only behind Kapil Dev (434), Ishant Sharma (311), Zaheer Khan (311), and Javagal Srinath (236), at the moment.

Milestone Alert  - 200 Test wickets for @MdShami11 #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/YXyZlNRkQ1 — BCCI (@BCCI) December 28, 2021

Displaying his superlative bowling, Shami celebrated the milestone by getting his 6th five-wicket haul in Tests. Shami ran through the South Africa top-order, getting the wickets of Keegan Petersen and Aiden Markram before returning to get a well-set Temba Bavuma.

A list of India pacers who took 200 or more wickets in Tests:

• Kapil Dev - 434 in 227 innings
• Zaheer Khan - 311 in 165 innings
• Ishant Sharma - 311 in 185 innings
• Javagal Srinath - 236 in 121 innings
• Mohd Shami - 200 in 103 innings

Talking about the match, Shami completed figures of 5-44 as hosts South Africa were bowled out for 197 on the third day, trailing India by 130 runs on the first innings score.

India reached 16 for one in their second innings at the close, a lead of 146 that already looks imposing for the home side on a Centurion Park wicket that will get harder to bat on.

Shabash Sultan of Bengal @MdShami11. Dekh ke maza aah gaya. Biryani. Doh din ke baad. Mehnat ka Phal. God bless. #SAvIND #Shami #Shami200 pic.twitter.com/QGZ41g4bD7 — Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) December 28, 2021

First-innings centurion KL Rahul (five not out) and nightwatchman Shardul Thakur (four) will resume on the fourth day trying to quickly move to a score that allows India to declare and have enough time to bowl the home side out again.

Mayank Agarwal (four) was the only wicket to fall in India's second innings as he edged debutant left-arm seamer Marco Jansen to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. Eighteen wickets fell on the third day after no play was possible on Monday due to rain.

Brief Scores: India 327/10 and 16/1 (KL Rahul 5, Marco Jansen 1-4) vs SA 197/10 (Temba Bavuma 52, Quinton de Kock 34; Mohammed Shami 5/44)