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The five-match Test series between India and England kicks off on August 4th at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. England will come into the first Test after a disappointing outing in their two-match Test series against New Zealand. India, meanwhile, will want to bounce back after their loss in the World Test Championship final against the Kiwis.
England's top-order troubles have been a cause for concern in recent Test matches but Rory Burns' return to form is a huge plus at the top of the order. With Ben Stokes missing out, England skipper Joe Root will want his experienced players to step up in this highly anticipated Test series.
England's top order has been under the microscope of late with the likes of Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley struggling for form. After the New Zealand series, batting coach Graham Thorpe stated that his batsmen's struggles against the Kiwis were more down to questionable decision making and a lack of mental toughness rather than poor technique.
Ahead of this all-important series, let's take a look at three England batsmen who have recorded the most runs against India.
#1 England captain Joe Root has the most runs against India
If playing the ball late is an art, Joe Root is a master at it. The England skipper has come a long way since making his debut against India as a young baby-faced assassin in Nagpur in 2012. Root is now the pivotal cog in this England batting line-up and will have the responsibility to lead his troops from the front.
In 20 Test matches played against India, Root has aggregated 1789 runs at an astonishing average of 54.21. He has five centuries and nine half-centuries against the Men in Blue. The Yorkshire batsman also joined some illustrious company as he became only the ninth batsman to score a hundred in his hundredth match. Root achieved the feat with a classy 218 against India in Chennai earlier this year.
The 30-year-old was also the highest run scorer in that series with 368 runs and will want to continue his stellar run this year when England host India. The English skipper is also on the verge of creating history, only 22 runs away from becoming his nation's leading run-scorer in all formats.
#2 Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler has been in and out of England's Test squad for a while now, with injuries hampering the wicket-keeper-batsman's career. He was part of England's squad for the tour of India earlier this year but only featured in the first Test match, scoring 54 runs before returning home.
However, Buttler's numbers against Kohli's men are quite promising. In the 12 Tests he's played against India, Buttler has amassed 757 runs at a healthy average of 42.05, including a century and five half-centuries.
Buttler has also scored 185 runs in five Tests this year, averaging 46.2, scoring only one fifty. England will hope that their experienced wicket-keeper batsman can continue his fine form and even convert his starts to play some match-winning knocks for his side in the upcoming series.
#3 Jonny Bairstow
Arguably one of England's greatest white-ball batsmen, Jonny Bairstow has been a revelation at the top of the order for his side in the limited overs format. However, his numbers in the longest format have taken a bit of a beating of late.
Bairstow is coming off a torrid red-ball series in India, recording three ducks and scoring only 28 runs in the two Test matches he played. Overall, in 13 Tests played against the visitors, he has aggregated 619 runs at an average of 28.13, including five half-centuries.
Bairstow has floundered a little in recent times in the longest format, but beyond these inconsistencies, he remains one of the most destructive batsmen of this era. England will hope the 31-year-old can carry some of his white-ball form into this all-important tour and become their X-factor in the middle-order.
