Statistical highlights ahead of South Africa vs India Test series

The Johannesburg Test starting on December 18 will be Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 50th assignment as India's captain. He would become the first captain to lead India in 50 Tests.

Following are the approaching milestones ahead of the two-Test series between India and South Africa starting at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on December 18. The second Test will be played in Durban from December 26.

# Jacques Kallis, who has scored 102 fifties prior to the start of the series, requires two more fifties to occupy the second place in the list of batsmen who have scored most fifties in the annals of Test cricket. Sachin Tendulkar occupies the first place with 119 fifties. Kallis would go past Ricky Ponting, who has scored 103 fifties.

# Kallis has scored 22 hundreds on home soil. One more hundred in the ensuing series would put him at par with Ponting, who also has scored 23 hundreds on home soil. Two more hundreds for Kallis would earn him the record for most hundreds on home soil -- 24.

# Dale Steyn has an aggregate of 192 wickets at home and requires eight more wickets for 200 scalps at home. If he gets this, he would then become the 16th bowler in the annals of Test cricket to capture 200-plus wickets at home. He would also become the third South African bowler to capture 200-plus wickets at home. Makhaya Ntini (249) and Shaun Pollock (235) are the other two South African bowlers to perform such a feat.

# Kallis has taken 198 catches as a fieldsman other than the wicket-keeper. He needs two more catches for his 200 catches. If he gets them, he would then become the second fieldsman in the annals of Test cricket to pouch 200-plus catches after Rahul Dravid, who has taken 210 catches.

# Kallis and Mahela Jayawardene with 117 catches each, share the record for most catches by a fieldsman on home soil. One more catch by Kallis would earn him the record of most catches by a fieldsman other than the wicket-keeper on home soil.

# Graeme Smith has an aggregate of 801 runs against India prior to the start of the series. He requires 199 more runs for his 1000 runs. If he gets them, he would then become the third South African batsman to amass 1000-plus runs against India after Kallis (1585) and Hashim Amla (1164).

# Kallis, who has an aggregate of 1585 runs against India, requires 115 runs for 1700 runs. If he gets them, he would then become the second batsman to total 1700-plus runs in South Africa-India Test series after Sachin Tendulkar, who has scored 1741 runs.

# Graeme Smith has an aggregate of 801 runs against India prior to the start of the series. He requires 199 more runs for his 1000 runs. If he gets them, he would then become the first South African captain to amass 1000-plus runs against India.

# Zaheer Khan has an aggregate of 295 wickets prior to the start of the series. He requires five more wickets for 300 wickets. If he gets them, he would then become the fourth Indian bowler to capture 300-plus wickets. Others are -- Anil Kumble (619), Kapil Dev (434) and Harbhajan Singh (431).

# Zaheer has an aggregate of 295 wickets prior to the start of the series. He requires five more wickets for his 300 wickets. If he gets them, he would then become the third left-arm pacer to capture 300-plus Test wickets. Others are - Wasim Akram (414) and Chaminda Vaas (355).

# Mahendra Singh Dhoni has an aggregate of 4255 runs as a wicket-keeper-batsman prior to the start of the series. He needs 245 more runs for his 4500 runs. If he gets them, he would then become the fourth wicket-keeper-batsman to score 4500 plus runs after Adam Gilchrist (5570), Mark Boucher (5515) and Alec Stewart (4540).

# Dhoni has scored 34 fifties as wicket-keeper-batsman prior to the start of the series. He needs two more fifties for his 36 fifties. If he gets them, then he would occupy the third place in the list of wicket-keepers who have scored most fifties in the annals of Test cricket. Others are - Gilchrist (43) and Boucher (40). Dhoni would go past Alan Knott and Andy Flower, who have scored 35 fifties each, on his way to occupy the third place.

# Dhoni has played 49 matches in the role of captain-cum-wicket-keeper. The first Test of the upcoming series at Johannesburg will be Dhoni's 50th Test in the role of captain-cum-keeper. He will become the first captain-cum-keeper to appear in 50 Tests.

# Dhoni has scored 24 fifties in the role of captain-cum-wicket-keeper. One more fifty would give him 25 fifties. If he gets it, he would become the first captain-cum-wicket-keeper to score 25 fifties in the annals of Test cricket.

# Dhoni has scored 19 half centuries in the role of captain-cum-wicket-keeper. One more half century would give him 20 half centuries. If he gets it, he would become the first captain-cum-wicket keeper to score 20 half centuries in Tests.

# Dhoni has an aggregate of 2833 runs in the role of captain-cum-keeper. He needs 167 more runs for his 3000 runs. If he gets them, he would become the first captain-cum-keeper to amass 3000-plus runs in Tests.

# Dhoni has captained India in 49 Tests prior to the start of the series and shares the Indian record for most captaincy assignments with Sourav Ganguly, who has also captained India on 49 occasions. The Johannesburg Test will be Dhoni's 50th assignment as India's captain. He would become the first captain to lead India in 50 Tests. He would also become the 14th captain in the annals of Test cricket to lead a team in 50-plus matches.

(Compiled by HR Gopala Krishna, who is a cricket statistician and regularly contributes to NDTV.com)