As England and India gear up for the final Test of the fiercely fought five-match series starting at The Oval on Thursday, a number of individuals on either side will be on the cusp of major individual milestones.
England won the series opener at Headingly in Leeds by five wickets before the visitors staged a solid comeback with a commanding 336-run win in Birmingham.
However, in the third Test at Lord's, England regained the lead with a 22-run win. The fourth Test in Manchester saw England dominating much of the game before India managed to secure a draw to keep the series alive.
At The Oval, the visitors will be aiming to level the series while England will be keen to extend their lead and finish on a high.
Gill close to 6,000 international runs
India skipper Shubman Gill is just 32 runs short of completing 6,000 runs in international cricket across all formats. Gill has tallied 5,968 runs in 112 matches at an average of 46.62 and a strike rate of 79.92 in three formats.
He has 25 fifties and 18 hundreds under his belt with a best score of 269.
Gill is the leading run scorer in the ongoing series against England, having scored 722 runs in eight innings at an average of 90.25.
The legendary Sunil Gavaskar holds the record for most runs by an Indian during a bilateral series, with 774 runs in four Tests against the West Indies away from home in 1971. Gill is just 53 runs away from breaking the long-standing record.
Besides, he needs 11 more runs to surpass Gavaskar's record of most runs (732) by an Indian captain in a Test series (1978-79 vs West Indies).
The dashing right-hander is also just 89 runs away from breaking Australian legend Don Bradman's record for most runs in a Test series by a captain.
During the 1936-37 home series against England, Bradman scored 810 runs in five Tests at an average of 90.00, with three centuries and fifty, including a best score of 270.
Jadeja looks to surpass Laxman
India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has quietly turned this England tour into one of the most memorable phases of his Test career. At The Oval, he will be looking to get 21 runs more and surpass VVS Laxman's record for the most runs in an away Test series while batting at number six or below.
Laxman amassed 474 runs during India's 2002 tour of the West Indies and Jadeja already has 454 runs under his belt in the series and is well-placed to go past the legendary batter.
So far in the series, the 36-year-old southpaw has smashed four half-centuries and an unbeaten century.
After four matches of the series, his batting average stands at a staggering 113.50.
Siraj one scalp away from 200 wickets
India pacer Mohammed Siraj stands just one wicket away from reaching a significant milestone -- 200 wickets in international cricket.
In 100 international matches, Siraj has taken 199 wickets at an average of 29.09. His best figures are 6-15.
With 14 wickets at an average of 39.71, Siraj is India’s joint-highest wicket-taker in the series alongside Jasprit Bumrah.
In 40 Tests, he has picked up 114 wickets at an average of 31.84 with best figures of 6-15. He has four five-wicket hauls in the longest format -- all of them coming outside Asia.
Siraj, who will be leading India's pace attack if Bumrah does not play the fifth Test, has a solid record in England, with 37 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 36.16. His best figures are 6-70.
During the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final against Australia at The Oval, Siraj had taken five wickets that included a four-wicket haul in the first innings.
Woakes ready to join 400 club
England pacer Chris Woakes needs five more wickets to reach 400 scalps in International cricket across all formats.
Woakes has grabbed 395 wickets in 216 matches at an average of 29.50 and an economy of 3.99. He has eight five-hauls and a ten-for under his belt.
He is currently the eighth leading wicket-taker for England across all formats.
So far in the series, Woakes has snared ten wickets in four matches at an average of 52.80. He is the sixth leading wicket-taker in the series.
Woakes has managed to take 26 wickets in seven outings at The Oval at an average of 25.23.
He will be the eighth English bowler with 400 or more international wickets after James Anderson (991), Stuart Broad (847), Ian Botham (528), Darren Gough (466), Adil Rashid (419), Graeme Swann (410) and Bob Willis (405).
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