IND vs ENG Tests: Highest run-getter, wicket-taker among current players
Team India and England are all set to renew their rivalry on the cricket field this month. After not playing at home for nearly a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, India are set to take on England in a full-fledged series. They will play four Tests, five T20Is and three ODIs. The much-anticipated Test series will kickstart the proceedings between the two teams on February 5 in Chennai.
The first two games will be held in Chennai before Ahmedabad hosts the next two Tests. The series is very crucial for both the teams as it will be their last assignment in the ongoing ICC World Test Championship. So before the two powerhouses of the game lock horns, we are taking a look at two current players who have scored the most number of runs and taken the most number of wickets in Tests between these two teams.
Highest run-scorer – Virat Kohli:
Among the current players, no player has scored more runs in India-England Tests than Virat Kohli. So far, the India skipper has played 19 Tests against England and has scored an impressed 1,570 runs in 35 innings. The right-handed batsman averages an impressive 49.06 against them and has also hit five centuries and as many half-centuries while facing the England bowler.
Kohli was the highest run-scorer in the last two Test series between the two teams. When England visited India in 2016, the 32-year old had scored 655 runs in 5 Tests at an average of almost 110. Two years later when India visited England, Kohli once again topped the scoring charts. He had scored 593 runs in 5 Tests with the help of two centuries and three fifties. The onus will be on him once again to lead the team from the front as India will be looking to seal their spot in the ICC WTC final.
Highest wicket-taker – James Anderson:
England pace spearhead James Anderson is the all-time leading wicket-taker in India-England Tests. The most decorated fast-bowler of all time, James Anderson has picked up an impressive 110 wickets in 27 Tests against India. No other bowler has managed to touch the 100-wicket mark in this rivalry. For India, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar has been the highest wicket-taker in Tests against England with 95 scalps to his name. Anderson has picked up eight five-wicket hauls against India and will be looking to put up a similar performance in the upcoming series.
