India vs England 2024 Test series: A statistical preview
India will take on England in a five-match Test series at home from January 25 to March 11. The Rohit Sharma-led hosts will begin the series as favorites, with the first match to be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The subsequent Tests will be held in Visakhapatnam (February 2-6), Rajkot (February 15-19), Ranchi (February 23-27) and Dharamsala (March 7-11).
England named their playing XI for the first Test a day ahead of the match. They made an interesting choice, leaving out veteran pace bowler James Anderson and picking three spinners in Rehan Ahmed, Tom Hartley and Jack Leach. While left-arm spinner Hartley will be making his Test debut in Hyderabad, Mark Wood is the only frontline pacer in the England playing XI.
Team India are also likely to go in with three spinners. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin pick themselves, while one of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav will make the cut as the third slow bowling option. The hosts will be without senior batter Virat Kohli, who has pulled out citing personal reasons. The other batters will need to step up in his absence.
As India and England gear up to resume their red ball rivalry, we look at all the important stats pertaining to the contest.
India vs England: Head-to-head record in Test matches
India and England have met 131 times in Test matches. England have a 50-31 lead in the head-to-head numbers, with 50 games ending in a draw. Looking at the Test numbers in India, the hosts have won 22 of 64 matches, while England have tasted victory in 14 games.
Highest and lowest totals
India’s 759/7d in Chennai in December 2016 is the highest team total in India vs England Test matches. Ironically, India also hold the record for the lowest total in India-England Tests. They were bowled out for 42 at Lord’s in 1974.
In fact, India have registered the three lowest scores in the rivalry. They were all out for 58 in 1952 and 78 in 2021. England’s lowest total against India in Tests is 81, which they registered in Ahmedabad in 2021.
Largest and smallest margin of victories
England’s innings and 285 run-triumph at Lord's in 1974 is the largest margin of victory in India-England Tests. India’s 28-run win at Eden Gardens in Kolkata in 1972 is the smallest margin of victory by runs.
As for the smallest margin of victory by wickets, India have registered four-wicket wins over England twice - The Oval (1971) and Chennai (1973).
Most runs in India vs England Tests
Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for having scored the most number of runs in India vs England Test matches. In 32 Tests, he notched up 2,535 runs at an average of 51.73.
England’s Joe Root is a close second on the list. He has 2,526 runs from 25 matches at an average of 63.15. Sunil Gavaskar (2,483), Alastair Cook (2,431) and Virat Kohli (1.991) are complete the list of top five batters with most runs in India-England Tests.
Highest individual score
Graham Gooch’s epic 333 at Lord’s in 1990 is the highest individual score in India vs England Tests. For India, Karun Nair hit 303* off 381 balls in Chennai in December 2016. Cook narrowly missed out on a triple hundred as he was out for 294 in Birmingham in 2011.
Most hundreds
Root holds the record for most hundreds in India-England Tests. He has struck nine in 25 matches. Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Cook are joint-second on the list with seven tons each.
Most runs in a series
Former opener Gooch holds the record for having scored the most number of runs in an India vs England Test series. He amassed 752 runs in six innings at an average of 125.33 during England’s tour of India in 1990.
Gooch followed up his 333 at Lord’s with 123 in the second innings. He also scored 116 in the next Test in Manchester and 85 and 88 in the third Test at The Oval.
Root is second on the list, with 737 runs in nine innings, averaging 105.28, during India’s 2021-22 tour of England. For India, Kohli amassed 655 runs in eight innings at an average of 109.16 during England’s tour of India in 2016-17.
Most wickets in India-England Tests
Anderson holds the record for having taken the most wickets in India vs England Tests. In 35 matches, he has picked up 139 wickets at an average of 24.89. India’s Bhagwath Chandrasekhar is second on the list. He claimed 95 scalps in 23 Tests at an average of 27.27.
Best bowling figures
Fred Trueman’s 8/31 in Manchester in July 1952 are the best innings bowling figures in the Test rivalry.
For India, Vinoo Mankad claimed 8/55 in Chennai in February 1952. Looking at best bowling figures in a match, Ian Botham registered figures of 13/106 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in February 1980.
Most five-fers in an innings
Chandrasekhar holds the record for most five-wicket hauls in India vs England Test matches. He claimed eight five-fers in 23 Test matches. Botham, Ashwin and Anderson are joint-second on the list with six five-wicket hauls each.