India vs Australia: Tim Paine beats Adam Gilchrist, Mark Boucher to a Test record
Australian skipper Tim Paine
Australian skipper Tim Paine surpassed Adam Gilchrist and Mark Boucher to become the fastest wicketkeeper to 150 dismissals in Test cricket on Sunday. Paine achieved the milestone during Day two of the ongoing Boxing Day Test against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
Paine completed 150 dismissals in 33 Tests and he took one game lesser than South Africa's Quinton de Kock and three Tests lesser than compatriot Adam Gilchrist. In the list of fastest wicketkeepers to 150 dismissals, former South African gloveman Mark Boucher is No. 4 (38 Tests) ahead of Australian Rod Marsh (39 Tests).
On Sunday, Paine clinched the landmark in India's 60th over. India's wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, who was looking to hit a Mitchell Starc delivery through the point, ended up getting a think bottom edge that landed in Paine's gloves.
It was a landmark breakthrough for Starc as well as it was his 250th wicket for Australia in Tests. He was the seventh Australian fast bowler to pick 250 or wickets in the longest format of the game after Glenn McGrath, Dennis Lillee, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Craig McDermott, and Jason Gillespie. Overall, Starc was the ninth Australian bowler in the club, the two others being legendary Shane Warne and Nathan Lyon.
The 30-year-old Starc, who reached 250 wickets in his 59th Test, became the fifth-fastest Australian to the feat, while he also became the sixth-most successful left-arm pacer in Test cricket. Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram remains the most successful with 414 wickets to his account.
In the ongoing Boxing Day Test at the MCG, Australia were bowled out for 195 in the first innings. At the end of Day two, India were at277 for 5, having taken a lead of 82 runs. India's stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane led from the front as he scored his second century on Australian soil. By doing so, Rahane also became only the fifth Indian captain to register a Test century in Australia after Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli.
Only Kohli has scored multiple centuries in Tests as captain in Australia (4), while the others did it one time. Azharuddin scored 106 off 162 at the Adelaide Oval in 1992, but his ton had come in a losing cause. Even Tendulkar, who had scored 116 off 191 at MCG was on the losing side at the end of five days. During the 2003-04 tour, Ganguly had become the first Indian skipper to score a century in Australia and not lose the match. His knock of 196-ball 144 had helped India draw the Test at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Meanwhile, out of Kohli's four centuries in Australia as captain, only one helped India draw the match – Sydney, 2015, while the other three were in losing causes.
Rahane and Ravindra Jadeja were batting at 104 and 40 respectively at stumps of Day two on Sunday.