India vs Australia: Approaching milestones in the series

A look at the milestones that can be achieved during India's four-Test series against Australia Down Under.

# Rahul Dravid requires 51 runs to complete 2,000 runs for India against Australia - 1949 at an average of 42.36 in 28 Tests.  He would be the third Indian to accomplish the feat. Two Indians have already achieved the feat against Australia - Sachin Tendulkar (3151) and VVS Laxman (2279). His overall aggregate against Australia is 1972 (ave.41.08) in 29 Tests. In two innings for ICC World XI in October 2005 against Australia at Sydney he had registered 0 & 23.

# Dravid (949 in eleven Tests at an average of 52.72) needs 51 runs to become the third Indian after Sachin (1522) and Laxman (1081) to complete 1,000 runs or more in Australia.

# The second Test between India and Australia would be the 100th at Sydney Cricket Ground.

# Lord's has hosted 123 Tests - the most at any Test venue, followed by Melbourne Cricket Ground (103), SCG (99) and Kennington Oval (94).

# In case of a series victory, it would be India's first ever in Australia. India have lost six Test series and drawn the remaining three out of nine contested in Australia.

# Virender Sehwag (7980 at an average of 52.15 in 92 Tests, including 22 centuries) needs just 20 runs to become the fifth Indian player to complete 8000 runs or more in Tests. Sachin Tendulkar (15,183), Rahul Dravid (13,094), Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) and VVS Laxman (8626) are the top Indian run-scorers.

# With 51 hundreds in Tests and 48 in ODIs, Sachin Tendulkar is on the verge of reaching 100 international centuries.

# Sachin (29) requires one century to become the first batsman to complete 30 centuries on foreign soil.

# Sachin, with a half-century, would overtake Allan Border's tally and to set a record for most fifties in Tests. Both Allan Border and Tendulkar jointly hold a record for most fifties (63) in Tests.

# Mahendra Singh Dhoni (35 dismissals in 10 Tests) requires 7 dismissals to set an Indian record for most dismissals against Australia. Syed Kirmani - 41 dismissals in 17 Tests - holds an Indian record against Australia.

# VVS Laxman (8626 at an average of 47.13 in 130 Tests) requires 374 runs to complete his 9,000 runs.