India vs England Test series: From Kohli-Anderson to Joe Root-Ashwin, 5 dream matchups to watch out– The 5-match Test series between Virat Kohli’s India and Joe Root-led England is all set to begin on August 4. The riveting contest will witness two quality teams take on each other in the opening match of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021-23. While Virat Kohli will be aiming to become the fourth Indian captain to win the Test series in England, the rivals will be looking to avenge their test series loss to India. Here we look at the top 5 matchups for the upcoming India vs England opening Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
India vs England Test series: From Kohli-Anderson to Joe Root-Ashwin, 5 dream matchups to watch out
Virat Kohli- James Anderson
India skipper Virat Kohli will be looking to dominate England pacer James Anderson once again in the upcoming Test series. Since 2014 disappointment, Kohli has never looked back. He is yet to give away his wicket to the England legend. The latter has dismissed the Indian run-machine on five occasions. He is set to overtake Anil Kumble to become the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
| Year | Runs | Balls | Outs | Dots | 4s | 6s | SR | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 23 | 81 | 1 | 72 | 3 | 0 | 28.4 | 23.0 |
| 2014 | 19 | 50 | 4 | 42 | 3 | 0 | 38.0 | 4.8 |
| 2016 | 69 | 112 | 0 | 75 | 8 | 0 | 61.6 | – |
| 2018 | 114 | 270 | 0 | 210 | 13 | 0 | 42.2 | – |
| 2021 | 11 | 52 | 0 | 46 | 1 | 0 | 21.2 | – |
| Total | 236 | 565 | 5 | 445 | 28 | 0 | 41.8 | 47.2 |
Ajinkya Rahane- Stuart Broad
England pacer Stuart Broad holds the edge over India vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane in Test cricket. He has dismissed the right-handed batsmen 6 times in their meetings. Rahane has scored just 303 runs off 303 balls against Broad. Will Rahane come out on top of Broad in the upcoming test series? Follow us at insidesport.co to find out
Notably, Ajinkya Rahane has managed to score 620 runs across 11 Tests in England at an average of 29.52. It is the second-best average for India among the current group of players touring England. He has slammed a couple of centuries and three fifties on England soil. The right-handed batsman will be looking to complete 5000 runs under his belt in the Test series.
Cheteshwar Pujara- Stuart Broad
India’s No.3 batsman will have to overcome the challenge of Stuart Broad as he looks to return to form in the upcoming Test series. Like Rahane, Broad also holds an upper hand against Pujara. He has dismissed him for a record four times in the Test arena. On the other hand, Pujara has managed to score 167 runs off 355 deliveries against Broad.
Joe Root- R Ashwin
England captain will be wary of main India spinner R Ashwin in the upcoming Test series. The middle-order batsman, Joe Root, who is likely to become England’s second-highest run-scorer in Tests after Alastair Cook, will be looking to dominate R Ashwin in the opening Test. The pitch is suitable for pacers and R Ashwin is likely to struggle at Nottingham. He can use the opportunity to get the better of the right arm spinner. Having said that Ashwin has dismissed Root thrice, giving away just 37 runs. Notably, the 34-year-old is on the brink of overtaking Harbhajan Singh (417 wickets) and Kapil Dev (434).
Jos Buttler- Mohd Shami
England wicket-keeper batsman Jos Buttler has been dismissed twice to India pace spearhead Mohd Shami. The right-handed batsman Buttler will be looking to seal his place as first-choice wicket-keeper ahead of Jonny Bairstow. The latter had struggled against spin during his forgetful run during England’s tour of India earlier this year. India will be hopeful that Shami will again come out on top of Jos Buttler in the upcoming Test series.
India vs England Test series: From Kohli-Anderson to Joe Root-Ashwin, 5 dream matchups to watch out
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