Perth (Australia): Australia's run machine Steve Smith, skipper Pat Cummins, pacer Mitchell Starc and ace spinner Nathan Lyon are on the brink of their milestones and would aim to complete it during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with the first Test in Perth to be played from Friday.
The Perth Test of the five-match series will commence from November 22. Both sides are placed at the top two spots of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) points tally and aiming to qualify for the second successive final. While India seeks to bounce back after a rare, but humiliating whitewash at home against New Zealand, Australia would be aiming to avoid a hat-trick of series losses to India at home.
Steve Smith needs just 315 runs to become the fourth Australian batter after Ricky Ponting (13378), Allan Border (11174), and Steve Waugh (10927) to cross the 10,000 Test runs landmark. Currently, he has scored 9,685 runs in 109 Tests, averaging 56.97, with 32 centuries and 41 fifties. Apart from this, he also needs 559 runs to become the sixth Australian to touch the 17,000-run mark in international cricket. Currently, he has scored 16,441 runs at an average of 47.79, with 44 centuries and 80 fifties. His best score is 239.
Smith needs 113 runs to complete 2,000 runs against India and has a chance to become the only third Australia to achieve this feat. He is currently the fourth leading run-getter for Australia in the BGT trophy after Ricky Ponting (2555), Micheal Clark (2049) and Matthew Hayden (1888). The right-hand batter also needs two more centuries to become a player with Test tons against India. England's Joe Root currently has the most - 10 Test hundreds against India.
On the other hand, captain Cummins requires 22 more wickets to become the seventh Australian bowler to get to 500 international wickets. Currently, Cummins has taken 478 scalps at an average of 24.55, with best figures of 6/23. Also, 31 more wickets could take him to 300 Test wickets, making him the eighth Aussie to achieve the landmark. Hazlewood also has 478 scalps in 213 matches, averaging 25.15 and needs several wickets to achieve this feat. It will be interesting to see who reaches the landmark first.
Cummins also has a chance to become the first pacer to pick up 200 wickets in the history of the ICC World Test Championship. The right-arm pacer currently has taken 175 scalps in 42 matches, averaging 22.81.
On the other hand, Nathan Lyon needs only 13 more wickets to become the first bowler to complete 200 wickets in WTC history. He currently has 187 wickets in 43 matches and is in second place in the all-time charts. Currently, his rival, India's veteran all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has the most 194 scalps in 40 WTC matches, averaging 21.32.
The 34-year-old Starc will also be aiming to join an elite company of Australian bowlers, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee as the fourth bowler to get to 700 international wickets. He currently sits at 681 scalps in 281 matches, averaging 25.73, with best figures of 6/28.
