3 records that could be broken in 5th India vs England 2024 TestÂ
From the sloping terrain of Hyderabad, a similar terrain of Vizag, the stony soils of Rajkot, and the cool foresty land of Ranchi, the caravan of the India-England Test series has reached the serene foothills in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.
The battle of Baz-Ball versus (Insert the first three letters of any Indian cricketer's name)-Ball is literally going to reach its peak, even though the result of the series is already decided. The focus would mostly be on Ravichandran Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow's 100th Tests, as it should be.
But there are also some other, relatively smaller records at stake, which we'll look at below:
#3 Yashasvi Jaiswal would eye big India-specific records
India's new Test opener has reached extraordinary levels in this series. With 655 runs from four Tests, including two double hundreds and two half-tons, Yashasvi Jaiswal has carried the batting multiple times and played the most vital role in the 3-1 lead.
It would remind many of Virat Kohli's brilliant run against the same opponent in 2016. Well, Jaiswal now has the opportunity to beat that too.
Kohli scored 655 runs in the 2016 series from five Tests, with a 200, a 100, and two 50s. It's still the highest amount of runs recorded in an India-England Test series by an Indian. Jaiswal now needs just one more run to beat that.
The left-hander would also eye Sunil Gavaskar's overall Indian record of 774 runs from the famous four-Test series against the West Indies in 1970/71, which is the highest for the country in any Test rubber.
#2 James Anderson could crack a big fast-bowling record
James Anderson is past 40 and he continues to do what he has always done - break records. Having picked up eight wickets from the three Tests he has played in the series so far, the veteran pacer has moved up to 698 Test wickets from 186 games at an average of 26.52.
He'd back himself to pick two more in Dharamshala where the conditions are expected to be cooler and slightly more conducive to swing. If he does that, he'll become the first-ever fast-bowler to cross the 700-wicket mark and only the third overall behind Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708).
The benchmark for fast bowlers could be cast in stone this week.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin could make his 100th Test more special with a record fifer
If playing the 100th Test in the most beautiful of the grounds and capping a scintillating journey of hard work and determination wasn't enough, Ashwin will get a chance to register himself high on the country's record books too.
If he picks up a five-wicket haul in either of the innings, it'll be his 36th, going past Anil Kumble's tally of 35 fifers from 236 innings, which is currently the joint-most for an Indian. Overall, 36 will help Ashwin level with New Zealand legend Richard Hadlee and 37 would take him at par with the great Shane Warne.
The highest, though, is Muralidaran's 67, which would certainly be a bridge too far for any bowler, not just Ashwin.