England's Ashes Quest: How Root and Co Chase Historic Milestones Down Under

Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope, the core of England's batting and four massive frontline stars of England's successful 'Bazball' school of cricket, will be put to a tough test by Australian quicks. While England is winless in Tests in Australia over the last 14 years, the Three Lions batters will be keen to bring nothing less than their A game.

Root, the second-highest run-getter in Tests, is chasing the 14,000 run mark in Tests and the 22,000 run mark in international cricket. He will also be aiming for a maiden Test century on Australian soil, a milestone which has eluded him for years.

In 158 Tests, Root has scored 13,543 runs at an average of 51.29, with 39 centuries and 66 fifties in 288 innings and best score of 262 runs. He will have to score 457 more runs to reach the 14,000-run mark in Tests and become only the second player, aside from Indian icon Sachin Tendulkar (15,921 runs in 200 Tests with 51 tons) to do so.

Top run-getter for England across all formats, Root is just 234 runs away from reaching 22,000 international runs. He has scored 21,766 runs in 376 matches and 493 innings at an average of 49.46, with 58 centuries and 114 fifties and a best score of 262. He is at he ninth place among top international run-getters, with Tendulkar (34,357 runs in 664 matches and 100 centuries) at the top.

Harry Brook, the swashbuckling hitter who was the 'Player of the Series' in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy earlier this year, with 481 runs, two centuries and two fifties, stands 180 runs away from the 3,000 Test runs mark. In 30 Tests, he has made 2,820 runs at an average of 57.55, a strike rate of 87.52, including 10 centuries and 13 fifties and his best score of 317.

Opener Ben Duckett, one of the fastest rising all-format openers in the world, also has some stats to chase - 3,000 run Test mark and 5,000 international runs.

In 38 Tests, the 31-year-old has scored 2,872 runs in 70 innings at an average of 42.86, with a strike rate of 86.14, including six centuries and 16 fifties and a best score of 182. He needs 128 runs to complete 3,000 Test runs.

Scoring 364 more runs could also help Duckett complete 5,000 international runs. In 89 international matches, he has made 4,636 runs at an average of 40.31, with a strike rate of over 94, including nine centuries and 27 fifties in 121 innings.

Ollie Pope, England's mainstay at number three, needs 393 runs to reach 4,000-run mark. In 61 Tests, the elegant right-hander has scored 3,607 runs at an average of 35.36, with nine centuries and 16 fifties in 107 innings, with a best score of 205.

England squad for First Test: Ben Stokes (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Mark Wood.

- ANI