India, who have been dominant over the years in Test cricket, will be facing current number 1 team New Zealand in the final of World Test Championship. Virat Kohli's men will be starting as favorites for many while in-form New Zealand team will also look to take momentum from the recent Test series win over England. A rock-solid contest is expected between the two sides when they face each other in the mega encounter at Ageas Bowl, Southampton starting (Friday) June 18.
Let us have look at some of the numbers and milestones ahead of the game:
0 - Both Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli haven't won a single ICC Trophy as captain. Number of Test matches won by India in Southampton ground is also 0. India have lost both their matches that played in Southampton previously.
1 - Ishant Sharma needs 1 more wicket to surpass Kapil Dev on picking most Test wickets as an Indian player on English soil.
2 - Tim Southee needs 2 more wickets to become 2nd New Zealand player after Daniel Vettori to pick 600 wickets in international cricket.
2 - Kane Williamson needs 44 more runs to become New Zealand team's 2nd highest run-scorer in Test cricket by surpassing Stephen Fleming's tally.
4 - Ravichandran Ashwin needs 2 more wickets to become 4th Indian bowler to pick 50 Test wickets against New Zealand team.
Most Test wickets by an Indian bowler against New Zealand
57 - Bishan Singh Bedi
55 - EAS Prasanna
50 - Anil Kumble
48 - Ravichandran Ashwin
4 - Ross Taylor needs 4 more runs to become the first New Zealand player to score 18,000 runs in international cricket.
5 - Ravichandran Ashwin has dismisssed Kane Williamson 5 times in Test cricket across just 9 innings.
Bowlers to dismiss Williamson most times in Test cricket
7 - James Anderson
5 - Ravichandran Ashwin
5 - Pragyan Ojha / Kemar Roach
5 - Ravindra Jadeja needs 46 more runs to become the 5th Indian player to have 2000 runs and 200 wickets collectively in Test cricket.
Indian Players with 2000 runs + 200 wkts in Test
Kapil Dev
Anil Kumble
Harbhajan Singh
Ravichandran Ashwin
8 - Neil Wagner needs 8 more wickets to enter top-5 highest wicket-takers' list for New Zealand team in Test cricket.
Most wickets for New Zealand in Test Cricket :
431 - Sir Richard Hadlee
361 - Daniel Vettori
309 - Tim Southee
287 - Trent Boult
233 - Chris Martin
226 - Neil Wagner
12 - Tom Latham needs 12 more runs to score 4000 runs as opener in Test cricket for New Zealand.
Most runs as opener for New Zealand in Test cricket :
5260 - John Wright
3988 - Tom Latham
2828 - Glenn Turner
16 - Ajinkya Rahane needs 80 more runs to become 16th Indian player to smash 8000 runs in international cricket.
50 - BJ Watling averages 50 with the bat in Test cricket on England soil from the 8 innings he has played.