Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Massive milestones approaching Kohli, Smith, Ashwin and Lyon

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The India versus Australia Test series is now being considered bigger than The Ashes and the reasons are obvious. The two teams have been part of few of the most intense battles in red-ball cricket in recent times. The same is being anticipated this time around with the start of the first Test in Nagpur from February 9.

The quality of players India and Australia possess is also what makes the clash between these two cricketing giants a high-octane one. Biggest of the cricketing stars will be on display during the 4-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and a few of them of are already nearing some individual milestones which they would be raring to get in their very first attempt.

• Former India captain Virat Kohli needs only 64 more runs to become only the sixth batter in history to complete 25,000 runs in international cricket. In the 490 matches he has played till date, the 34-year-old right-handed has scored a total of 24936 runs at an average of 53.74. Once he gets to those 64 runs, he will only be the second Indian batter after Sachin Tendulkar to achieve the feat.

• Veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is a wicket shy of 450 Test scalps. A wicket in Nagpur will make him the fastest bowler to reach the landmark. The 36-year-old will also become only the ninth bowler in the history of Test cricket to register more than 450 Test scalps. Currently, he has featured in 88 Tests. Off-spinnerNathan Lyon, who is just ahead of Ashwin in the list of highest wicket-takers in Tests, has picked 460 wickets in 115 Test matches.

• Australian Veteran Nathan Lyon has picked up a total of 94 wickets in 22 Test matches against India. Six more scalps against Rohit Sharma's side will make him only the third bowler in the world to have 100 wickets against India. England's James Anderson (139) and Sri Lanka legend Muttiah Muralidaran (105) are the other two bowlers. Lyon will also become the second bowler after former India captain and coach Anil Kumble to complete a century of wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

• Australian batting mainstay Steve Smith will have the opportunity to equal Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most number of hundreds in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Smith has hit 8 Test centuries against India, whereas Sachin has nine tons to his name in 34 Tests. A hundred in both the innings will see the former Australia captain takeover Sachin's long-standing record.

• India's number three Cheteshwar Pujara has scored 1893 runs in 20 matches against Australia. The 35-year-old Saurashtra star will become the fourth Indian and sixth batter overall to score 2000 or more runs in the Border-Gavaskar Series if he manages 107 runs in Nagpur.