NEW DELHI: After taking a 2-1 lead in the four-match series, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team will aim to sign off their red-ball campaign on a high when they lock horns with England in the fourth and final Test in Ahmedabad, starting Thursday.
India need a 2-1 or 3-1 series win to make it to the World Test Championship final against New Zealand. The final is scheduled to be played in June at Lord’s.
With Kohli’s men raring to make it 3-1 against England, multiple members of both teams are within touching distance of personal milestones in the fourth Test.
Here’s a quick look at some of the approaching career milestones of the Indian and English cricketers:
– Ravichandran Ashwin needs 6 wickets to go past Kapil Dev in taking most wickets against England (home and away). Ashwin has 80 wickets in 18 Tests against England, while Kapil Dev took 85 wickets in 27 Tests.
– Ashwin is just 1 wicket away from completing 100 wickets while bowling in the first innings of the match. He has 99 wickets while bowling in the first innings of a match. In the second innings, Ashwin has 107 wickets, in the third he has 126 wickets, and in the fourth, 69 wickets. Overall, the off-spinner has 401 Test scalps to his name so far.
– Ashwin needs 5 wickets to surpass Curtly Ambrose’s mark of 405 Test wickets. Ashwin has 401 wickets in 77 Tests so far.
– If Ashwin manages to claim a five-wicket haul in the fourth Test, he will break Glenn McGrath’s record of 29 five-wicket hauls in Tests. Ashwin also has 29 five-wicket hauls in his Test career so far.
– In the process, Ashwin can also equal James Anderson’s figures of 30 five-wicket hauls in Tests, unless Anderson completes another five wicket haul.
– If Ashwin manages to take a 10-wicket haul in the fourth Test, he will surpass Denis Lillee’s record of seven 10-wicket hauls in Tests. In this case Ashwin will also equal Kumble’s feat of eight 10-wicket hauls.
– Virat Kohli needs 25 runs to surpass Clive Lloyd on the highest run-getters list in Test cricket. Kohli has 7490 runs in 90 Tests, while Llyod has 7515 runs in 110 runs. Kohli may also surpass Mark Taylor (Australia, 7525 runs), Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan, 7530 runs), and Steve Smith (Australia, 7540 runs) in the process.
– Cheteshwar Pujara needs 72 runs to complete 4000 runs while playing under Kohli’s captaincy. Pujara, who has 6227 runs in 84 Tests at an average of 46.81, has scored 1979 runs under Dhoni’s captaincy and 320 runs under Rahane’s.
– Joe Root needs 5 runs to go past Virender Sehwag on the highest run-getters list in Test cricket. Root has 8582 runs in 102 Tests, while Sehwag scored 8586 runs in 104 runs. If Root manages to bat longer, the England skipper can also go past Matthew Hayden (Australia, 8625 runs) and Michael Clarke (Australia, 8643 runs).
– England pacer James Anderson needs 9 wickets to surpass Anil Kumble (619 wickets in 132) on the most Test wickets list. Anderson has 611 wickets in 159 Tests so far.
– Stuart Broad needs just 2 wickets to go past Courtney Walsh’s 519 Test wickets mark. Broad has 517 scalps in 146 Tests so far.