The stats that matter ahead of Adelaide

98.38 - Michael Clarke’s average at the Adelaide Oval. The Australia captain has been passed fit for Tuesday’s first Commonwealth Bank Test against India at a venue where he’s scored three centuries, two of them doubles. In two Tests against India in Adelaide, Clarke has amassed 365 runs at an absurd average of 121.66. And if you think that’s good, his predecessor Ricky Ponting averaged 134.83 from four matches with as many centuries against India in the City of Churches.

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68.68 - David Warner’s average in the last 10 Tests. The left-handed opener has scored five centuries and six fifties among 1305 runs with a highest score of 145. Just as impressive is his strike rate, a destructive 79.91. Last time India toured, Warner posted the third-fastest century by an Australian in Test cricket history, blasting 100 off only 69 balls in Perth, going on to make his highest Test score of 180.

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85.89 - Warner’s average in the second innings since the Brisbane Ashes Test last summer. And it’s not like his first innings efforts have been poor; in 10 knocks, the 28-year-old has scored 532 runs at an average 53.20 with two centuries. Whether his side is clawing back a first-innings deficit, setting an imposing total, or chasing a target, Warner’s strike rate actually improves in the second innings, if only slightly, from 79.05 to 80.52.

33 - The percentage of wickets Mitchell Johnson captured from back of a length/short balls last summer. Johnson peppered the English batsmen in frightening fashion during the Ashes, and has vowed to continue that aggression this summer.

“Everyone is different and for me my first session back was just getting back into it,” Johnson said.

“I didn't bowl a bouncer until late in the session when we had that centre wicket at (local suburban ground) Park 25, so the more I've bowled the better I've felt and I think everyone's felt that as well.

“I believe everyone's ready to go and we've got that aggression as a bowling unit.

“We are going to play the way we've been playing over the past 18 months and as a batting unit we'll be aggressive as well."

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24.50 - Virat Kohli’s average against Australian paceman Peter Siddle. Kohli has been dismissed four times in 11 innings by the Victorian, scoring only 98 runs at a strike rate of 39.52. The 26-year-old struggled in his last Test series away against England, posting only 134 runs from 10 innings as he failed to handle the seam and swing of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

34 - Number of wickets taken by Ishant Sharma in the past 12 months, the most by any Indian. Sharma’s 34 wickets from seven matches puts him comfortably ahead of the next best bowler, Mohammed Shami on 21. The towering quick will be India’s spearhead this summer, but his numbers in Australia don’t make for pretty reading.

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11 - Sharma’s wickets in Australia from two tours and seven Tests. An average of 73.55 and a strike rate of 124 balls per wicket don’t read too kindly, but his record against Australia’s No.3, Shane Watson, is heartening, having dismissed the allrounder five times in 12 innings