Ajinkya Rahane became the first fielder in the history of Test cricket to take eight catches in a match, achieving the feat in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle, on Friday.

He caught Rangana Herath at slip off Amit Mishra to enter the record books after going past five international players --  Yajurvindra Singh (India), Greg Chappell (Australia), Hashan Tilakaratne (Sri Lanka), Stephen Flemimg (New Zealand) and Mathew Hayden (Australia), all of whom took seven  catches in a match.

- Scorecard

- Photos from Day 3

Yajurvindra took seven catches in a Test match against England at Bangalore on February 1, 1977.

At Galle, Rahane was instrumental in sending three Sri Lankan batsmen back to the pavilion during the first innings and five in the second, including a couple of outstanding low catches in the slip region off the spinners.

Englishman Wally Hammond though holds the record for most catches -- 10 -- in first class cricket, having achieved the feat as a Gloucestershire fielder against Surrey in 1928.

England wicketkeeper Jack Russell -- in 1995 -- and South African glovesman AB de Villiers -- in 2013 -- have 11 dismissals each in a Test.