Much of the focus will be on Ravichandran Ashwin's 100th Test but Jonny Bairstow will also be achieving a similar landmark at the HPCA Stadium on Thursday.

The England batter is thrilled to enjoy the company of his mother Janet and sister Becky, partner Megan and their nine-month-old son on this momentous occasion.

It was five months ago at Dharamsala that Bairstow completed his 100 caps in ODIs.

"I'm proud. You know what I'm like, an emotional guy, so yeah — get the tissues ready," he said on Tuesday.

"It's absolutely stunning here," Bairstow said. "I don't think there's a more picturesque ground in the world. Cape Town is one of my favourite places, but when you take a moment, look up at the mountains with the snow and everything that goes with it up here in Dharamsala, it's quite incredible."

Bairstow ranks his 2022 home season in which he made 681 runs in six Tests, at an average of 75.66, as his best.

"It's difficult to go beyond that summer," he said. "They were pretty special Test matches in the way in which everyone bought into a style of playing cricket that the world started speaking about.

"It's just been a pure pleasure to play with some of the greatest of the game... When I started, you look at the line-up: Strauss, Cook, Trott, Pietersen, Bell, Prior, Swann, Anderson, Bresnan, Broad — that's a pretty good team.

"Jimmy is still going, Rooty (Root) I've played with since I was 12. Ben (Stokes), we have played against since we were 13, to share the journey with those guys..."