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The much-anticipated India vs England Test series is upon us as the teams prepare for the first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, beginning on Thursday, January 25.
With England's flavorful approach to red-ball cricket and their wish to conquer the Indian side in India after 12 years, the upcoming series promises to be a blockbuster affair. India have been a dominant force in home conditions. In the last ten years, India have hosted 40 Tests at home, winning 30 and losing just three.
The Rohit Sharma-led side will look to continue their assertive record despite being without two of their most experienced players, Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami. While Kohli has made himself unavailable for the first two Tests, Shami is still recovering from an ankle injury he picked up at the 2023 ODI World Cup.
The upcoming five-match series also offers a chance for both teams to break a slew of records. Let's take a look at five milestones that can be reached in the crucial Test series between India and England:
#5 Rohit Sharma can become the Indian with most Test sixes
The batter with the most international sixes to his name, Rohit Sharma, could reach another major six-hitting milestone in the Tests against England.
If Rohit continues to play his aggressive brand of cricket and hits a few balls out of the park, he could become the Indian with the most sixes in Test cricket. Rohit currently has 77 Test sixes to his name, which is the third-most for India.
If the Indian skipper hits 15 more sixes in the series, he will surpass Virender Sehwag's tally of 91 maximums.
Apart from this, Rohit is also ten sixes shy of becoming the first-ever player to complete 600 maximums in international cricket.
#4 Ravichandran Ashwin can become the fastest Indian to take 500 Test wickets
Over the past decade, Ravichandran Ashwin has been one of India's most important players in home Test matches. His vast experience of playing in Indian conditions and abilities to pounce on the slow tracks make him a genuine threat.
In his 12-year Test career, Ashwin has accumulated 490 wickets across just 179 Test innings. He has the opportunity to become the fastest Indian player to complete 500 Test scalps.
Anil Kumble currently holds the record, having completed 500 Test wickets in 105 Tests. If Ashwin bags ten wickets in the series against England, he will make the record his own, as the off-spinner has played 95 Test matches so far.
Ashwin could become the second-fastest overall behind Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, who took only 87 Tests to take his 500 red-ball scalps.
#3 Ashwin could become the Indian with the most Test five-wicket hauls
Ravichandran Ashwin could also become the Indian with the most five-wicket hauls in an innings in Test cricket.
The Indian spinner has taken 34 Test fifers in his career so far. He is just behind Anil Kumble's tally of 35 Test five-wicket hauls, the highest amongst Indian bowlers.
Ashwin is already at par with Kumble's eight Test match ten-wicket hauls. Another ten-wicket haul in the upcoming series would also see him breach that record.
#2 Rohit could become the Indian with the fourth-most international runs
Rohit Sharma's spectacular batting over the years has seen him break numerous records across the globe. He could attain another major milestone in the upcoming series, and might not even require multiple innings to do so.
Rohit is currently India's fifth-highest run-scorer in international cricket. The Mumbai Indians player has amassed 18,420 runs at an average of 43.34 for India. If Rohit manages just 14 runs more, he will replace Sourav Ganguly in fourth position.
Ganguly, who batted 485 times for India, made 18,433 runs at an average of 41.42 and hammered 106 fifties and 38 centuries.
#1 Joe Root is on the verge of becoming the highest Test run-getter in England vs India matches
Joe Root's Test career began with a fighting 73 on his maiden Test innings in Nagpur against India during the 2012/13 tour.
More than 11 years later, Root is on the verge of becoming the player with the most runs in India vs England Test matches. Countless batting greats have taken part in this storied rivalry, but Root finds himself on the brink of history.
Root has so far played 25 Tests against India and has accumulated 2526 runs at an incredible average of 63.15. His record also includes 10 half-centuries and nine superb hundreds.
Root is just ten runs away from becoming the highest run-getter in the Test matches between India and England. He is currently only behind Sachin Tendulkar, who made 2,535 Test runs against the Three Lions.
The 33-year-old could also become the highest scorer against India in Test cricket. As of now, Ricky Ponting's 2555 runs are the most by any player against India in Tests. Root requires just 30 more runs to eclipse the Australian legend.
Another century in the series would make him the player with the most Test tons against India.
