India is hosting a four Test series against England in November-December 2012, Virender Sehwag and Alastair Cook will make an impact while opening the innings.

Both batsmen are match winners and have proved their worth by demonstrating wonderful innings in various matches. Below, we will highlight the brief career of the two along with their performance against the respective countries.

Alastair Cook

Alastair Nathan Cook was born on Christmas day of 1984, in Gloucester, a left hand opening batsman and a part time right-arm spin bowler. He is a promising and consistent batsman with a superb record in the longer version of the game. He started cricket at his school level, he went on to play for England Under-19’s and alternatively represented England.

The left hand batsman played his first Test vs. India on March 1, 2006, at Vidarbha Cricket Association Ground, Nagpur, under the captaincy of Andrew Flintoff . He scored 60 runs in his maiden outing powered by unbeaten 104 off 243 deliveries with 12 fours in the second innings and has been an important member of the English team ever since.

The 27-year-old has played 83 Tests, 146 innings and secured his wicket nine times. He thrashed 6555 runs at the fabulous average of 47.84 runs comprising 20 hundreds and 29 half centuries. His highest score of 294 was recorded vs. India on August 10, 2011, at Edgbaston, Birmingham and he has scored a couple of double hundreds in his career.

Cook went into bat against India 20 times in 11 Tests, he scored 875 runs averaging 46.05 the best of 294 with two tons and four fifties. He will be leading the English side in the series after the retirement of Andrew Strauss and has to prove his credentials in his new assignment at the top level.

Virender Sehwag

Sehwag was born on October 20, 1978, in Delhi, a right hand opening batsman and right-arm off break bowler. He is an attacking batsman by nature and never lets the rival bowler rule or dictate terms on him. He has played almost against all Test playing nations with a lot of determination and a powerful display of his artistic approach towards the game.

The 34-year-old made his Test debut on November 3, 2001 vs. South Africa at Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein, under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly. He was inducted as a middle order batsman, he hammered 105 runs off 173 balls with 19 fours in the first innings followed by 31 in the second and never looked back after that.

Sehwag has taken part in 98 Tests, played 170 innings and remained unbeaten on six occasions. He has smashed 8306 runs at an excellent average of 50.64 runs with 22 centuries and 32 fifties. His best innings of 319 runs was scored in the first innings against South Africa on March 26, 2008, at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai. The tons from Sehwag include two triple hundreds and four double centuries which reflect his authoritative batting.

The master batsman has played 13 matches and 22 innings vs. England and scored 568 runs at a nominal average of 27.04, the best of 106 with four half centuries.

The first Test between the two countries will start from November 15, 2012, at Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad, and the success of the two teams will heavily depend on Virender Sehwag and Alastair Cook.