Aproaching Milestones in India vs Australia Series: Virat Kohli Set to Become 32nd Test Captain

While Mahendra Singh Dhoni will sit out of the 1st Test against Australia at Adelaide, Virat Kohli is ready to take the role of a leader. Following are the approaching milestones from the long-drawn four-Test series Down Under.

* Virat Kohli is set to become the 16th captain to lead India against Australia when he leads India at Adelaide in the first Test. He also would become the 32nd captain to lead India in Tests against all oppositions. He would also become the 13th captain to lead India against Australia in Australia.

* Kohli achieves the distinction of becoming the 101st captain to lead a team against Australia in Australia when he leads India at Adelaide.

* India's current tour in Australia is its 11th tour of Australia. The team has played 40 Tests in Australia. Of these 40 Tests, India has won five Tests, lost 26 and the nine have ended in a draw.

* MS Dhoni has scored 922 runs and requires 78 more runs for his 1000 runs against Australia. If he gets them, he would become the ninth Indian batsman to total 1000 plus runs against Australia.

* Prior to the start of this series, MAK Pataudi and Dhoni share the record of most captaincy assignments against Australia. Both have led in eleven Tests. One more Test captaincy for MS Dhoni would earn him the most captaincy assignments against Australia.

* Dhoni has scored 745 runs while leading India against Australia. He needs 85 more runs to become the leading run getter as captain against Australia. Pataudi has scored 829 runs.

* Dhoni has an aggregate of 3386 runs while leading India. He needs 64 more runs to become India's leading run getter as captain. SM Gavaskar has score 3449 runs.

* Dhoni has scored 24 half centuries while leading India. One more half century would earn him the distinction of becoming the first Indian captain to score 25 half centuries. He would also become the sixth captain in the annals of Test cricket to score 25 plus half centuries. Others are - AR Border (36), GC Smith (36), RT Ponting (35), SP Fleming (31) and CH Lloyd (31).

* Prior to the start of this series, Dhoni and SMH Kirmani  have played 17 Tests against Australia. One more Test for MS Dhoni would make him the most capped Indian wicket keeper against Australia.

* Dhoni has scored 922 runs as a wicket keeper batsman against Australia. He needs 78 more runs for his 1000 runs. If he gets them, he would become the first Indian wicket keeper batsman to score 1000 plus runs against Australia. He would also become the fourth wicket keeper batsman to score 1000 plus runs against Australia. Others are - APE Knott (1682), AJ Stewart (1338) and PJL Dujon (1000).

* Dhoni has effected 37 stumpings in his career prior to the start of the series. He needs two more stumping dismissals to own the Indian record for most stumping dismissals held by Kirmani who has effected 38 stumping dismissals.

* Dhoni has pouched 243 catches in his career prior to the start of this series. Seven more catches would give him 250 catches and with it he would become the seventh wicket keeper in the annals of Test cricket to pouch 250 plus catches. Others are - MV Boucher (532), AC Gilchrist (379), IA Healey (366), RW Marsh (343), PL Dujon (267) and APE Knott (250).

* Dhoni is set to become the most capped Indian captain if he leads India in three more Tests against Australia in Australia.

* Dhoni has effected 99 dismissals as captain wicket keeper on away soil prior to the start of the series. He needs one more for his 100th dismissal. If he does it, he would become the first captain wicket keeper in the annals of Test cricket to effect 100 dismissals on away soil.

* Michael Clarke has scored 1914 runs against India prior to the start of this series and requires 86 more runs for his 2000 runs. If he gets them, he would then become the second Australian batsman to total 2000 plus runs against India after Ricky Ponting. Ponting has scored 2555 runs.

* Clarke has scored 942 runs against India in Australia prior to the start of this series and requires 58 more runs for his 1000 runs. If he gets them, he would then become the second Australian batsman to total 1000 plus runs against India in Australia after Ponting. Ponting has scored 1893 runs.

* Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle will join the Australian 40 plus wicket taker's club against India, if they capture three and four wickets respectively.

* Clarke has scored 16 hundreds on home soil as a batsman prior to the start of the series. One more hundred would give him his 17th hundred. If he gets it, he would occupy the fourth place in the list of Australian batsmen who have scored most hundreds on home soil. Others are - Ponting (23), Matthew Hayden (21) and Don Bradman (18).

(Stats courtesy: Gopalakrishna Ramaswamy)