IND vs ENG Test series, Statistical Preview: Dominant home record makes Team India outright favorites
01-February-2021

Less than a month back, India were bruised, wounded, a left crippled with injury befriending every other senior member of the Test team in Australia. With only their 'C' team to feature against the menacing Australian pace attack, India were written off. But what unfolded over the next two weeks was stuff fairytales are made of. Battering that daunting attack on an ominous fifth-day Gabba track, India defied odds to win a second consecutive series in Australia. India thumped their dominance in style once again in the Test format announcing themselves as one of the most formidable side in world cricket. Barring a few, the senior members have rejoined the squad, including Virat Kohli, and the team is back on their home soil to take on England. The recent win does make India the outright favourites, but England too are heading into the contest on the back of a 2-0 cleansweep in Sri Lanka with their skipper Joe Root in destructive form. Not to forget, India's only defeat at home in the previous decade was against England, in 2012.

INDIA, THE MOST DOMINANT FORCE AT HOME
Team India has been the most dominant force in home conditions, losing just four of the 50 Tests they played on home soil in the last decade, their win-loss ratio of 9.3 being the most among all teams who have played at least 10 Tests at home since 2010. India also have the best win-loss ratio for home Test series in the last decade, winning 16 out of of the 18 contests played and losing only one, against England, led by Alastair Cook, in 2012, when the visitors had bounced back to win the four-Test series 2-1. Since the defeat, India have lost just one Test at home, against Australia in Pune in 2017, winning 28 of the 35 Tests played since December 2012.

England, meanwhile, have been the second-best traveller among teams since 2010, with a win-loss ratio of 1 for away Test series, only behind South Africa (1.6), who are the only side to have won more contests than they have lost. England have won seven of their 18 away series, comprising wins in 21 Tests, which is the joint-most by any team, of the total 58 they have played.

11 of those 21 away wins came on Asian soil, making them the best visiting team on the continent with a win-loss ratio of 1.6, their most recent scalp being the 2-0 cleansweep over Sri Lanka.

HEAD-TO-HEAD TIE
India have played the most against England in Tests, their rivalry being 122-match old, with the Asian side managing only 26 wins. India's win-loss ratio in the rivalry (0.55) is the least they have managed against a side (at least 30 matches) in Test cricket. 19 of those victories came at home, of the total 60 matches they have played against India, winning seven Test series and losing five.

AT THE TWO VENUES
India have won their most number of Tests at the Chepauk with 14 wins in 32 games and six defeats, the last of which was in 1999. England have played nine Tests at the venue and managed only three wins while incurring five defeats. At Ahmedabad, India have won four and drawn six of the total 12 they have played at the venue. England, on the other hand, have lost one and drawn the other of their two appearances at the Sardar Patel Stadium.

APPROACHING MILESTONE
- Kohli, who has now gone without an international hundred in 30 matches across formats, with his last century witnessed in November 2019 at home, is a triple-figure mark away from equally Ricky Ponting for the second-most tons in international cricket (71) and surpassing the Aussie great for most international tons by a skipper. They are presently tied at the top spot with 41 such scores.

- The century will also help him surpass Clive Llyod (5233 runs) for the most Test runs by a captain. He presently stands 14 runs behind in the fourth spot in the all-time list.

- Joe Root stands on the verge of being the 15th player from England to play 100 Tests. He also stands the chance to become the fourth England captain to reach the milestone of 50 Test appearances. With 8249 carrer runs, also sits 215 runs behind Alec Stewart to become England's third-highest run-getter.

- Ishant Sharma needs three more Test wickets to become the sixth Indian player to reach the milestone of 300 wickets. He also stands three Test appearances short of being the 11th Indian player to appear in 100 Tests.