Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are retired from Tests. India also won't have the services of Mohammed Shami, while Jasprit Bumrah will only play three Tests against England. Still, a new look India would be optimistic about their chances of winning the five-match Test series. India have a bunch of talented players, and despite the lack of experience in English conditions, can give the hosts a run for their money.

England are also not as strong as they used to be following the retirement of James Anderson and Stuart Broad, so the series should be an evenly fought contest.

Joe Root Eyes History

For India, Joe Root will be the biggest concern. Root has been in tremendous form and is the leading run-scorer in the World Test Championship (WTC), with 5543 runs in 64 matches. Root is also on the cusp of a historic feat in the WTC. If Root can score a fifty or a hundred in the first Test against India, he will become the first player in the world to register 40 fifty-plus scores in the WTC. Root currently has 18 centuries and 21 fifties to his name.

Most 50+ Scores In WTC

Player	Hundred	Fifties	50+ Scores
Joe Root	18	21	39
Marnus Labuschagne	11	22	33
Steve Smith	13	18	31
Babar Azam	8	18	26
Ben Stokes	7	17	24

Meanwhile, if Root can score two fifties in the five-match Test series, he will top the charts for most fifties in the tournament. Currently, Marnus Labuschagne, who has scored 22 fifties, holds the record for the most fifties in the WTC.

Root could also become the first player in the world to score 3000 Test runs against India in the Test series. Root has scored 2846 runs against India, and he needs another 154 runs to reach the landmark. The former England captain will also be eyeing the record of fastest to reach the 4000 run mark against India in international cricket. Root needs 142 runs to claim the feat.

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