Indian pacer Ishant Sharma will become the 11th player from the country to reach 100 Tests when he dons the whites in the third of the four-match series against England on Wednesday.
Among the pacers, Ishant will become only the second Indian after former captain Kapil Dev, and 11th overall to wear a 100th Test cap.
The pacer has taken 302 wickets in 99 Tests so far, having made his debut in the longest format of the game in 2007 against Bangladesh.
Ahead of the milestone Test, former Indian cricketer and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter to congratulate the Indian pacer. The 'Master Blaster' wrote, "Playing 100 Tests is a great landmark for any cricketer, especially a fast bowler. Have seen you play from your U-19 days & played alongside you in your 1st Test. Proud of you & your service to #TeamIndia. Continue to serve in the best possible manner. Congrats @ImIshant!"
Another former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina, who has also shared the dressing room with Ishant, wrote, "A well deserved milestone @ImIshant. Congratulations & best wishes for your 100th test match brother. This will surely be a momentous #PinkBallTest at #GCA stadium. #INDvsENG"
Earlier, Indian captain Virat Kohli had also paid tribute to the Indian pacer.
"Hard to see [such longevity to play 100 Tests], especially for fast bowlers in today's age and time. People lose motivation. If he would have wanted, he would have bowled 4 overs, 10 overs etc, would have improved and played regular cricket in ODIs and T20Is as a first choice player. But he kept his focus only on Test cricket. In today's day and age, playing 100 Tests is a big thing," Kohli had said.
