Anticipation is reaching a fever pitch as India prepares to face England in a highly anticipated Test series beginning in Hyderabad come January 25th. Cricket aficionados will be treated to five matches filled with intense competition, as the outcome of this series carries significant weight in the standings of both teams within the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle.
India, the host nation, has recently been dethroned from its pinnacle position in ICC rankings following a 1-1 draw in a Test series against South Africa earlier in the month. The team also saw a slip to second place in the World Test Championship standings, affected by the outcome of that encounter. Conversely, the visiting England squad comes off the back of the Ashes 2023, where a gripping 2-2 draw against Australia left them anguished on their home turf.
Amidst the strategic and team-oriented approaches that will define this series, individual milestones are also in play that could reshape the history books. Specifically, England’s Joe Root and India’s Virat Kohli are in the throes of surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s illustrious record for the most individual runs in Test matches between the two nations. Tendulkar’s monumental tally stands at 2,535 runs, but Joe Root, nipping at the heels of history, is a mere nine runs shy of this record.
Root, demonstrating resilience and form, gathered 412 runs across nine innings in Ashes 2023. His repertoire in India is as impressive as his determination, having accrued 952 runs in 20 innings when playing on Indian soil, boasting an average of 50.10. His exceptional track record includes two centuries and five half-centuries. Establishing himself as the beacon for centuries in the rivalry, Root has notched nine hundred to date, surpassing giants of the game such as Sachin, Rahul Dravid, Alastair Cook, and even Kohli.
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli, revered for his prowess at the crease, isn’t far from scripting his own record-obliterating saga. With five matches to demonstrate his class, Kohli is nine runs away from amassing 2,000 runs in the Test format against England and, crucially, is the leading run-scorer against England amongst currently active Indian cricketers. A testament to his significance in this historic rivalry.
As the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad gears up to host the opening test under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the stage is set not only for a contest of team supremacy but for individual glories that may echo through the annals of cricket history.
Relatedly, in the T20 landscape, Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh etched their names into the record books with a partnership that redefined record-keeping in a 3rd T20I against Afghanistan, showcasing India’s depth in the shortest format as well.
Adding to the cricketing events to mark on your calendar, the ICC U19 World Cup 2024 is approaching, and fans are keen to be apprised of the schedules, squads, venues, and how to tune in live to witness the future prodigies of cricket display their talents.
Moreover, Rohit Sharma had his moment of glory amidst the high-stress drama of a super over in the recent showdown against Afghanistan, achieving personal milestones that further cement his standing as a pivotal figure in the Indian cricket narrative.
The upcoming Test series, however, remains the centerpiece, with colossal individual achievements on the line, riveting cricket guaranteed, and the promise of history being rewritten, no cricket enthusiast would want to miss what promises to be an enthralling exhibition of Test cricket at its finest.
