IND vs ENG: 4 Indian bowlers who have dismissed Joe Root the most times in Tests
While the India versus England Test series held earlier this year in India ended in a harrowing defeat for the visitors, the context for the upcoming five-match rubber in England will be different.
The tour will be played after two other intriguing Test assignments - New Zealand's tour of England and the World Test Championship (WTC) 2021 final, both in June. It will also clash with the inaugural edition of The Hundred.
Despite this, why will eyeballs be glued to the Test series? For starters, it will be another good look at the Test regulars of both sides, with India not playing much red-ball cricket apart from the WTC Final.
For the Indian team's fans and critics alike, the series is a good gauge of whether Virat Kohli's men can be considered among the best touring sides in the world, or whether they are just a good side at home with the odd overseas success.
As one of the world's best players, England Test skipper Joe Root will be one of the star attractions of the series. The 30-year-old averages more than 50 in Test cricket against India both home and away, and started the tour of India in 2021 with a dominant double-hundred. While India's bowling line-up hasn't been as steady as its batting line-up, a few players have reaped success while bowling to Root over the years.
Here are the 4 Indian bowlers who have dismissed Joe Root the most times in Test cricket.
#4 Axar Patel (3 times)
When Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out of the home Test series against England earlier this year, India's hopes were marginally hampered although they still had a tremendous home record.
However, that record looked in grave danger once England comprehensively beat India in the first Test, as Shahbaz Nadeem came across as a poor replacement for the Saurashtra-born all-rounder.
The eventual 3-1 series result can largely be attributed to Axar Patel's entry. In three games against England, Axar scalped a remarkable 27 wickets with his accurate bowling, seeing the back of the skipper three times as well.
Axar dismissed Root twice in his maiden Test, with the Yorkshireman even being his first Test wicket. He continued to trouble the English batsmen as he finished with a stunning series average of 10.59.
#3 Jasprit Bumrah (3 times)
In all of Joe Root's 20 matches against India during his Test career, only Jasprit Bumrah has managed to dismiss him for a duck.
Although the 27-year-old has played just five matches against the English skipper, he has enjoyed the upper hand three times. This is better than compatriots Mohammad Shami and Ishant Sharma, who have played 11 and 14 games respectively against Root for just two dismissals apiece.
Bumrah's unusual action, with a release point that is closer to the batsman, makes the process of adjustment quite difficult. The evidence lies in two of Root's three dismissals against Bumrah being LBW, as the skilled pacer exploits any sideways movement on offer to good effect.
One of the most impactful international bowlers since his debut, Bumrah will be a top draw in the India-England series.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja (5 times)
Although he was seamlessly replaced by Axar Patel in the home series against England, Ravindra Jadeja has been one of Joe Root's biggest nemeses while playing against India.
The left-arm orthodox bowler has dismissed Root 5 times in their 11 games against each other, and remains the only Indian bowler to have dismissed the No. 4 Test batsman bowled.
Jadeja has primarily starred against England in home encounters, with the 2016-17 home series being a particularly prolific one. With his batting improving to the point of making him India's No. 7 across formats, Jadeja is quite likely to play against England even if there isn't a lot of turn on offer.
Indian fans would be hoping for "Sir" Jadeja to cause more problems for the English batsmen.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin (5 times)
One of India's most dependable bowlers over the years, Ravichandran Ashwin used the four-match series at home in 2021 as an opportunity to join Jadeja at five dismissals against the English skipper. In a phenomenal series performance, Ashwin picked up 32 wickets from four games while also scoring a hundred at his home ground.
Involved in 16 of the 20 games that Root has played against India, Ashwin has dismissed him caught on three occasions and LBW on two others. Unlike many classical off-spinners, Ashwin possesses the carrom ball which spins the other way, apart from a gamut of subtler variations like the under-cutter and arm ball.
It will hardly be a surprise if Ashwin snags the big fish on a few more occasions during India's tour of England.