England-India factbox before the first of a four-Test series starting at Lord's in London on Thursday.
* The first Test will be the 2,000th ever staged and the 100th between the two countries. England have won 34 matches, India 19 and 46 have been drawn.
* England will overtake India as the world's number one side if they win the series by a margin of at least two Tests.
* India's Sachin Tendulkar needs one century to become the first man to score 100 international hundreds.
* India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni led his side to victory in the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in 2007 and the 50-overs World Cup this year. He has taken India to number one in the world Test rankings for the first time and never lost a series.
* Former Zimbabwe captain Duncan Fletcher, the England coach during their 2005 Ashes triumph and now with India, will become the first head coach to take charge for 100 Tests.
- Dhoni determined to extend India's dominance
- 'Swing and bounce key to nullify Tendulkar threat'
- Numbers Game: India vs England
Highest innings totals
For England in England; 653-4 declared at Lord's, 1990.
England in India; 652-7 declared at Madras, 1984-5.
For India in England; 664 at the Oval, 2007.
India in India; 591 at Bombay, 1992-3.
Highest individual scores
England, 333 Graham Gooch at Lord's, 1990.
India, 224 Vinod Kambli at Bombay, 1992-3.
Best bowling
England, Fred Trueman 8-31 at Manchester 1952
India, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar 8-79 at Delhi 1972-3.
Cairn may have to be bulldozed to accept norms
Fletcher eager to work with India seniors
Arjun, business venture keep Sachin busy in London
Ishant has been the pick of our bowlers: Dhoni
Temple dedicated to Sachin, Dhoni in Bihar soon